Chinese vessels have again blocked and fired water cannons at a Philippine supply ship close to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing “heavy damage” to the wooden vessel and injuries to several of its crew, according to the Philippine government. In a series of social media posts on Saturday, the Armed Forces … Read more
In a rare display of cooperation, Taiwan’s coast guard, following requests from China’s coast guard, initiated search and rescue missions with their counterparts for surviving sailors after a fishing boat capsized near the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands and Matsu Islands, groups of heavily fortified islands only miles away from the Chinese mainland. On March 14, Taiwan … Read more
Amid swelling seaborne trade, rising maritime crime, and intensifying territorial disputes, coast guards are increasingly central to Asian maritime security. However, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has long lagged behind its neighbors. A 2016 estimate put the PCG’s total tonnage at just 11 percent of the China Coast Guard (CCG), even though the two coast … Read more
Taiwan on Tuesday protested China’s boarding of a tourist boat, as tensions rise around the Kinmen archipelago, which lies a short distance off China’s coast but is controlled by Taiwan. Taiwanese media reported the King Xia, carrying 11 crew and 23 passengers, was boarded by the Chinese coast guard for about 32 minutes on Monday. … Read more
While the Chinese government deals with a stumbling economy, “de-risking” by trade partners, and smoldering crises in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the Sino-Indian border, its 12-year-old policy toward disputed maritime territory in the East China Sea continues to maintain high tensions with Japan to no good purpose. The focal point of … Read more
The Philippines has again condemned China’s coastguard for its latest “provocative action” against Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea, shortly after the two nations agreed to take additional steps to manage tensions in the disputed waterway. Yesterday, Jonathan Malaya, the spokesperson of the National Security Council, referred to an incident publicized by the Philippine … Read more
The number of days Chinese government vessels were spotted in the contiguous zone of disputed islands in the East China Sea hit a record high in 2023. The China Coast Guard (CCG) also set a record for the number of vessels operating in the same waters around the Japanese-controlled but Chinese-claimed islands, which are known … Read more
Interviews | Security | Southeast Asia In this exclusive interview, Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea at the Philippine Coast Guard, discusses the current situation near Second Thomas Shoal. Advertisement On Oct. 22, in two separate incidents Chinese vessels collided with Philippine boats near Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines keeps a permanent troop presence on … Read more
Advertisement A Chinese coast guard ship and a maritime militia vessel separately bumped a Philippine coast guard ship and a military-run supply boat yesterday in the vicinity of the contested Second Thomas Shoal, the latest sign of frictions in the contested South China Sea. In a statement yesterday, the National Task Force for the West … Read more
ASEAN Beat | Security | Southeast Asia The Philippine Coast Guard described China’s installation of the barrier at Scarborough Shoal as “a clear violation of international law.” A Philippine diver cuts a rope that the Philippine Coast Guard claims is part of the submerged barrier installed by Chinese vessels at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Credit: Philippine … Read more