Surface Forces: South China Sea War Continues

[Valin]

Strategy Page

July 24, 2024: Last month there was a clash in the South China Sea between naval forces of China and the Philippines. The cause of this largely non-lethal battle was a Filipino attempt to resupply Filipino marines stationed on an old LST (Landing Ship Tank) deliberately run aground on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to asset Filipino ownership of the Shoal and much of South China Sea. There have been several similar clashes in the last year. The most recent ones in May and June involved a large number of Chinese ships that physically blocked Filipino Coast Guard and supply ships from reaching the grounded LST. Several of the Filipino RIBs (Rigid Inflatable) were sunk by Chinese sailors in speedboats who came alongside and used knives to puncher the RIBs hull and cause them to sink. A Filipino sailor lost a thumb when his boat collided with a fast moving Chinese speedboat. China seized materials meant for the LST and used loud sirens and strobe lights to disorient Filipino sailors trying to get their boats close to the LST. Among the seized materials were additional weapons for the LST crew. China has refused to return the weapons or any other cargo they seized. Technically this is piracy but even if an international court agrees with that, the Chinese will ignore the courts as they did several years earlier when a court ruling confirmed that portions of the South China Sea were under the control of the Philippines. China is one of the many nations that signed agreements governing the law of the sea, but the Chinese later ignore any agreements they signed if these agreements get in their way. This is what continues to occur in the South China Sea.

The Chinese Navy and Maritime Militia mustered dozens of Coast Guard and commercial fishing trawlers that are paid by the Chinese to serve as a naval militia and, when called upon by the government, cease fishing and assemble for whatever the navy wants them to do. Usually it is to congregate in large numbers near disputed, with the Philippines, islands, reefs and shoals to keep Filipino fishing boats out and claim these areas for the exclusive use by Chinese fishing trawlers. In one recent case Chinese ships equipped with water cannon hit Filipino fishing boats with large quantities of sea water to keep them from operating in traditional Filipino fishing areas.

The June clashes were the largest and most violent yet. In one case a Filipino helicopter dropped supplies near the LST and as the marines were retrieving them, Chinese speedboats arrived and seized some of the air dropped parcels and ripped open the waterproof packaging and scattered the contents on the ocean surface. Apparently, the Chinese government has ordered its naval forces to use any means necessary to deprive the grounded LST of any supplies and try to starve out the marines stationed on the LST.

(Snip)

[Valin]

Jul 25, 2024

ABC News senior Pentagon reporter Luis Martinez has the details on the interception.