MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippine Coast Guard on Friday accused its Chinese counterpart of obstructing efforts to evacuate a sick soldier from its armed forces in the South China Sea, describing its actions as “barbaric and inhumane.”
The incident, which the Philippines said occurred last month, involved a member of a small squad of Marines stationed to guard the BRB's (NASDAQ:) Sierra Madre, a Philippine ship anchored at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, the site of repeated standoffs with China last year. .
Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarella said Coast Guard and Navy boats were harassed by Chinese vessels, despite being told the operation was medical in nature.
“The barbaric and inhumane behavior displayed by the Chinese Coast Guard has no place in our society,” Tarella said in a statement.
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines accepted a request for comment, but did not immediately respond with a statement.
Tarella said the Chinese Coast Guard “engaged in dangerous maneuvers and deliberately rammed” a navy boat while transporting sick personnel.
“What should have been a simple medical evacuation was harassed,” Tarella said.
Philippine Army Commander Romeo Brawner said on Tuesday that the first attempt to transfer the sick soldier to the western province of Palawan failed after the Chinese prevented it.
Another attempt was made the next day with the help of the Philippine Coast Guard, and the soldier was successfully evacuated, Brawner said.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a corridor for more than $3 trillion in annual ship trade, and has deployed hundreds of coast guard ships up to 1,000 kilometers off the mainland to monitor what it says is its jurisdiction.
The Philippines and China have repeatedly quarreled over the past year near the disputed landmarks, which are located in Manila's exclusive economic zone. China routinely accuses the Philippines of aggression, while Manila and its allies have condemned what it calls aggression by Beijing.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said China's claims had no legal basis, a decision rejected by Beijing.