On July 20th, the WeChat public account 'Chinese Coast Guard' published footage of the deliberate provocation by the Philippines.
At around 9 a.m. on July 20th, while a Chinese coast guard small patrol boat was conducting routine patrols near the China Ren'ai Reef, the Philippine illegal ship No. 57 released two rubber boats. Despite our repeated warnings, the Philippine ship approached the Chinese patrol boat in a dangerous manner and rammed it from above. During this incident, Filipino personnel first used tools such as oars and long sticks to maliciously attack the Chinese law enforcement officers. The Chinese side took measures such as shouting warnings, maneuvering to avoid the situation, and taking reciprocal countermeasures to stabilize the situation, striving to maintain rationality and restraint at all times.
After the incident, the Philippines distorted the facts and falsely accused China, which is completely a perversion of justice. We demand that the Philippines immediately stop its infringement and provocative actions, as well as false propaganda. The Chinese coast guard will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in accordance with the law in the Spratly Islands, including Ren'ai Reef, and their surrounding waters, and will resolutely safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
