EU Concerned Over Ayungin Clash, Urges Peaceful Resolution

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday raised concern over the recent encounter between Philippine and Chinese personnel at Ayungin Shoal that injured two Philippine Navy servicemen, as it warned against actions that could heighten tensions in the South China Sea. In a statement, the EU Delegation to the Philippines cited the July 20 incident near Ayungin Shoal, internationally known as Second Thomas Shoal. "The EU has repeatedly expressed its deep concern over the steady increase of tensions and dangerous incidents in the South China Sea and firmly opposes any unilateral actions that endanger the safety of personnel at sea and threaten to undermine regional stability and the international rule-based order," it said. The EU reiterated that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides the international legal framework for activities in the oceans and seas. It also reaffirmed the validity of the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea, describing the decision as "final and legally binding upon the parties to the proceedings." "All tensions and disputes must be resolved through dialogue and peaceful means, in accordance with international law," the EU said. The statement followed Monday's confrontation involving Philippine Navy and China Coast Guard (CCG) personnel near the BRP Sierra Madre, the grounded warship serving as the Philippines' outpost at Ayungin Shoal. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the incident began when a CCG rigid-hull inflatable boat with eight personnel approached and maneuvered around the Sierra Madre while its occupants took photos and videos. Two Philippine rubber boats were then deployed to drive the Chinese vessel away from the area. During the ensuing confrontation, Chinese personnel allegedly hit a Filipino sailor on the head with a wooden baton and damaged one of the Philippine boats. Two injured AFP personnel were subsequently evacuated from the shoal with assistance from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday. Beijing gave a different account of the confrontation, accusing the Philippine side of initiating the encounter. China claimed Philippine boats rammed a Chinese vessel and that Filipino personnel wielded oars and sticks during the incident. Following the confrontation, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to Malacañang on Tuesday. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos and Jing discussed the incident as well as national security concerns arising from developments in the West Philippine Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs had earlier described the actions against Filipino troops as "unacceptable." Ayungin Shoal is located within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. In 2016, an arbitral tribunal constituted under UNCLOS ruled that China's claims to historic rights over resources within the maritime areas encompassed by its so-called nine-dash line had no legal basis insofar as they exceeded the maritime entitlements provided under the convention. China has rejected the ruling. — MCG, GMA News