Chinese military personnel attacked two Phillippine navy boats in a disputed area of the South China Sea, echoing the violent 2020 Galwan Valley clash between China and India. According to reports, the Chinese rammed the boats, boarded them, and used axes, spears, machetes, and hammers to damage them. Visuals of the incident surfaced on social media.
WATCH: #China CG personnel violently attached ropes to tow PH’s RHIB boats while threatening to injure Filipino troops with a pickaxe.
The CCG also employed blaring sirens to create chaos and disrupt communication.
This is a Chinese armed attack on PH ships in its EEZ. US… pic.twitter.com/mMMVwsWnfC
— Indo-Pacific News – Geo-Politics & Defense (@IndoPac_Info) June 20, 2024
Sirens blared as both sides yelled at each other during the confrontation. Several Filipino soldiers were injured, including one who lost his right thumb. The Chinese forces damaged the boats and seized eight M4 rifles, navigation equipment, and other supplies, as reported by the Associated Press (AP) on Tuesday.
Vice Admiral Girish Luthra (Retd) drew parallels between this incident and the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, questioning if these were “China’s Galwan-type tactic at sea”. He said in an X post that the Chinese coastguard had used melee weapons against Phillipine personnel off Second Thomas/Ayungin Shoal.
Philipines military says Chinese coastguard boarding parties used swords, knives, spears etc., and injured Philipine personnel in the fight, in the incident off Second Thomas/Ayungin Shoal.
China’s Galwan type tactics at sea?
China denies.https://t.co/pp3hklCzLY
— VAdm Girish Luthra (Retd) (@girish_luthra) June 19, 2024
ALSO READ | Four Years Of India-China Clash At Galwan, Tensions Remain High Till This Day
The recent incident in the South China Sea echoed the 2020 clashes in India’s Galwan Valley, where Chinese PLA troops engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat with the Indian Army. The Galwan Valley clash was sparked by a dispute over a temporary bridge built by the Chinese in the region. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese soldiers, though reports suggest the Chinese casualties were higher.
The Galwan clashes showed China’s aggressive stance towards its neighbours, with PLA troops using makeshift weapons like metal-spikes clubs and barbed-wire-wrapped rods.
The South China Sea has long been a hotspot for territorial disputes involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan. China’s expansive claims over nearly the entire sea have heightened tensions with its neighbours.
A Chinese law enacted in 2021 allows the coast guard to seize foreign ships entering China’s claimed waters and detain their crews for up to 60 days. This law has faced resistance from several governments, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
READ MORE AT: Philippine Navy Accuses Chinese Coast Guard Of Boarding Filipino Navy Boats In Violent Confrontation In South China Sea
