Chinese Vessel's Blockade of Philippine Coast Guard Medical Evacuation Sparks Outrage

The Philippine coast guard has condemned China's actions as "barbaric and inhumane" after its vessels blocked efforts to evacuate a sick member of the armed forces from a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

The Philippine coast guard on Friday, June 7, accused its Chinese counterpart of blocking efforts to evacuate a sick member of its armed forces in the South China Sea, calling its actions "barbaric and inhumane".

The incident, which the Philippines said took place last month, involved a member of a small contingent of marines posted to guard the BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine vessel grounded at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, the site of repeated confrontations with China this past year.

Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said in a statement that coast guard and navy boats were harassed by Chinese vessels performing "dangerous maneuvers", despite having informed them the operation was of a medical nature.

"The Chinese rubber boat aggressively made close-quarters maneuvers in front of the utility boat and dangerously maneuvered really close to its port side despite repeated appeals to give way to the government vessel," Tarriela said.

The Philippine coast guard released a video showing the alleged incident, in which a Chinese rubber boat can be seen cutting across the path of a Philippine coast guard vessel. The Chinese boat also allegedly used a high-powered searchlight and siren to disorient Philippine personnel.

The Philippine government has strongly protested the incident, calling it a "blatant violation of the Philippines' sovereign rights".

"China's actions are deeply concerning and we strongly condemn their behavior," Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a statement.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce, and has deployed hundreds of coast guard vessels as far as 1,000 km off its mainland to police what it says is its jurisdiction.

The Philippines, along with several other countries, disputes China's claims. In recent months, there have been a number of incidents between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed waters.

The Philippine government has warned that China's actions are testing its "red line" and that it is prepared to defend its sovereign rights.

"We will not tolerate any further provocations and we will take all necessary measures to protect our territory and our people," Locsin said.

The Chinese embassy in the Philippines has acknowledged a request for comment, but did not immediately respond with a statement.