Beijing may be testing a distracted U.S.'s commitment to the Philippines, one analyst told Newsweek.
The Philippines released a video showing one of its navy vessels narrowly avoiding a collision with a Chinese warship in the contested South China Sea on Wednesday, with Manila accusing the People’s Liberation Army Navy ship of a “dangerous and unsafe maneuver.
”during a “routine” operation near Philippine-held Thitu Island in the Spratly Islands, the Philippine military’s Western Command said in a statement., citing what it describes as historical rights—despite a 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal that rejected those claims—putting it at odds with competing claims from theknown in Manila as Pag-asa and in Beijing as Zhongye Dao, is the second-largest islet in the Spratlys and the only one with a permanent civilian population. It is central to Philippine efforts to counter In the clip, the Chinese vessel can be seen sailing close abeam on the starboard side, slightly ahead of the Philippine ship. Crewmembers can be heard calling out while the distance between the two vessels rapidly narrows. The Jingzhou “executed an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver by closing in and passing at a dangerously close distance” from the Philippine vessel, the statement said. The command added it would continue to carry out maritime operations with professionalism and resolve in exercising the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction. China and the Philippines have engaged in a series of tense standoffs around disputed South China Sea features, particularly in 2023 and 2024, though most incidents have involved coast guard ships and China’s paramilitary “maritime militia.”ships to back its territorial claims, an escalation defense analysts believe carries a higher risk of a miscalculation turning disastrous and triggering the Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington.These incidents point to “a more muscular, proactive posture of the PLA Navy” in Philippines-claimed waters, says Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Singapore’s Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies. “Beijing no longer needs to hide behind the veneer of appearing ‘stabilizing’ by deploying just its white hulls on the frontline—this narrative falls apart because of the aggressive behavior of the Chinese coast guard anyway, and it didn’t stop Manila from deploying both its navy and coast guard,” he told“Now given the distraction of the U.S. in the Middle East, Beijing could also be trying to test the ‘red line’—particularly in determining how far Washington would back Manila in the South China Sea,” he added. China has repeatedly stated the Philippines is hyping the South China Sea issue and perpetuating a"victim's narrative." China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations including the Philippines have voiced support for a"code of conduct" in the South China Sea rooted in international maritime law. However, China’s continued disregard of the, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not"both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you., you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations.
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