China has long used its coast guard to press its claims in the South China Sea.
And while the Chinese military had been deployed near the Scarborough Shoal in the past, one analyst told AFP Wednesday’s action showed they were “becoming more aggressive and forceful”.
“It’s meant to intimidate,” Jay Batongbacal, director of the Manila-based Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said.
“It’s definitely meant to send a message, a show of force,” he added.
“AGGRAVATE TENSIONS”
There has been a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea in recent months, including around a warship grounded for years by Manila on the contested Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
One of the most serious incidents took place in June, when Chinese sailors brandishing weapons including knives and an axe boarded Philippine naval vessels near the strategic reef.
The Philippine military said one of its sailors lost a thumb in the confrontation in which Beijing’s coast guard also confiscated or destroyed Philippine equipment including guns.
Beijing blamed the escalation on Manila and maintains its actions to protect its claims are legal and proportional.
