Tensions Flare Between China and Philippines Over Medical Evacuation at Sea

China's coast guard allowed a medical evacuation on a Philippine warship at the Second Thomas Shoal, a situation Manila criticized as displaying China's illegal presence in their exclusive economic zone. The event highlighted ongoing tensions and several past clashes over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

China's coast guard has reported that, on humanitarian grounds, it permitted the Philippines to evacuate an ill individual from a beached warship at the Second Thomas Shoal. Manila's coast guard dismissed the claim as 'ridiculous,' alleging illegal deployment of Chinese vessels in their exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Jay Tarriela stated on X that this incident underscores China's requirement for approval to preserve human life and welfare. In their own statement, the Chinese Coast Guard said they monitored the entire rescue operation, which was requested by the Philippines.

The PCG reported encountering 'numerous obstructing and delaying manoeuvres' by China's coast guard during the medical evacuation. This follows a prior incident a month earlier when the PCG accused China's coast guard of blocking another medical evacuation, labelling their actions as 'barbaric and inhumane.'

China's foreign ministry stated on the same day that it would allow the Philippines to deliver supplies and evacuate personnel, provided Manila notifies Beijing before any mission. The Philippines grounded a rusty, aging warship on the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert its maritime claims, a move that has caused several clashes with China's navy. China claims most of the South China Sea as its territory, despite a 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration denying its expansive claims.

(With inputs from agencies.)