A tense week at sea as Philippine coast guard faces China
When two Philippine coast guard vessels set out to patrol the volatile South China Sea recently, they had to face more than China’s growing territorial ambitions
ABOARD BRP MALABRIGO (AP) — When two Philippine coast guard vessels set out to patrol the volatile South China Sea recently, they had to face more than China’s growing territorial ambitions.
The Associated Press and three other news agencies were invited by the Philippine coast guard two weeks ago to join a 1,670-kilometer (1,038-mile) patrol of one of the world’s most fiercely contested seas.
The invitation was part of a new Philippine strategy aimed at bringing attention to China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea. China has rapidly built up its military presence in the area in recent years, pushing back other claimants like the Philippines and building artificial islands with airstrips and military garrisons. The rich fishing archipelago is believed to sit atop vast undersea deposits of oil and gas.
The Philippines dispatch regular patrols to assert their claims to the islands, spot encroachments, and resupply Filipino sailors stationed on the islands. Arrayed against far larger and more powerful fleets of Chinese coast guard vessels, navy warships and seaborne militias, the Philippine coast guard says its patrol vessels often face David and Goliath confrontations, especially near Beijing’s artificial island bases.
