Philippine Navy Vessel Encircled by Chinese Warships at Scarborough Shoal

Recently, China’s naval fleet has been getting up close and personal with Philippine forces in the South China Sea, marking a shift from previous encounters that typically involved only the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia.This time, Chinese warships have ventured dangerously close to Philippine Navy vessels, raising concerns about potential clashes.

On Monday, the Philippine corvette BRP Emilio Jacinto, along with two other government ships, was navigating roughly 12 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal—a disputed reef within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic zone (EEZ) that China occupies. This area is notorious for tensions between Chinese forces and Filipino fishermen from Luzon.

While Jacinto was on it’s route, it encountered PLA Navy frigate Liuzhou, which crossed its path at an alarming distance. Another frigate, Tongliao, lingered perilously close to the ship’s side. The Armed Forces of the Philippines interpreted this maneuver as an act of intimidation rather than a mere coincidence. Thankfully, no incidents occurred during this encounter.

The AFP expressed concern over these reckless maneuvers: “Such actions not only jeopardize navigation safety for [Jacinto] but also breach international maritime regulations designed to prevent collisions at sea,” they stated.

This situation stems from China’s assertion of ownership over parts of the western Philippine EEZ based on its controversial “nine-dash line” claim—an assertion dismissed by a 2016 ruling from The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration. In response to these developments, Senior Colonel Tian Junli from PLA Southern Theatre Command claimed that their forces had effectively thwarted incursions by philippine vessels into what they consider their territory around Scarborough shoal.