China and Philippines Trade Accusations over Evacuation of Injured Filipino Sailor near Ren’ai Jiao

Dragon Media News Desk

China and the Philippines have issued conflicting accounts of the evacuation of an injured Filipino serviceman near Ren’ai Jiao, also known as Ayungin Shoal, in the South China Sea. The sailor was transferred from the BRP Sierra Madre by small boat on October 8.

Footage released by Chinese media outlet Global Times shows the Philippine Coast Guard transferring the injured serviceman to another boat while under the supervision of the China Coast Guard. According to the Chinese side, Philippine Coast Guard vessel 4409 entered waters near Ren’ai Jiao without permission, prompting China Coast Guard vessel 5306 to warn it to leave. China says it later allowed a small boat to proceed to a designated area on humanitarian grounds and provided assistance with the evacuation.

The Philippine Coast Guard, however, accused Chinese vessels of obstructing the operation, using water cannons and conducting dangerous maneuvers. According to the Philippine account, an evacuation that would normally take a few hours lasted nearly 10 hours.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the Philippine vessel had entered the waters without permission. She said China allowed the evacuation on humanitarian grounds and provided the necessary assistance. Mao also accused some Philippine officials of making allegations without presenting the full account of the incident.

The footage shows the China Coast Guard supervising the transfer, but the two sides give conflicting accounts of whether water cannons were used or the evacuation was obstructed beforehand. China and the Philippines have long disputed sovereignty over Ren’ai Jiao and the surrounding waters.