Chinese coast guard ships blasted water cannons at two Philippine government fisheries vessels Friday in the South China Sea, marking the third confrontation this week. This direct assault on vessels supporting the livelihoods of working people occurred as top diplomats gathered in Manila for annual foreign minister meetings, with the skirmishes high on their agenda.
The latest high-seas faceoff unfolded near Scarborough Shoal for the second consecutive day. A Chinese coast guard ship approached a Philippine government fisheries vessel within seven meters, or 23 feet, a maneuver the Philippine coast guard condemned as reckless and creating a serious collision risk. They called these actions dangerous and unprofessional, asserting the shoal is an integral part of Philippine territory, with its surrounding waters forming part of the country’s territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.
Controlling the Commons
China's coast guard stated that multiple Philippine ships, including three coast guard vessels, had gathered in the waters. They claimed to have issued verbal warnings, deployed interception measures, and used water cannons to expel them. “We sternly warn the Philippines to immediately cease its infringing and provocative actions or bear all consequences that may arise,” the Chinese coast guard declared. This aggressive stance underscores the ongoing struggle for control over a key global trade route.
Beijing claims virtually the entire sea passage, a claim that directly contradicts a 2016 arbitration ruling, issued 10 years ago, based on the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, established 44 years ago. That ruling invalidated China’s expansive claims, yet the state continues its projection of power, prioritizing resource extraction and strategic dominance over international legal frameworks.
Beyond the water cannons, a clash on Monday at the Second Thomas Shoal left two Philippine sailors injured. Chinese coast guard personnel reportedly hit them with wooden poles. China, in turn, accused Philippine sailors of attacking Chinese personnel with oars and long sticks, revealing the escalating physical violence inherent in these territorial disputes. These incidents directly impact the working people who operate these vessels, caught in the crossfire of national capital interests.
The State's Hand
The decades-long territorial standoffs were a primary focus for the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and their Asian and Western counterparts. Three days of closed-door talks began Tuesday in the Philippine capital, with the South China Sea disputes discussed on the first day. A joint statement from ASEAN ministers noted concerns expressed by some members regarding land reclamations, activities, and serious incidents in the area, including actions that jeopardize the safety of all persons and damage the marine environment. Such statements, while acknowledging the human and ecological cost, often serve to manage, rather than resolve, the underlying imperialist competition.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, met Wednesday on the sidelines of the ASEAN talks. They discussed Monday’s clash at the Second Thomas Shoal, calling the incident escalatory. The presence of major global powers in these discussions highlights the broader geopolitical stakes, where regional conflicts become arenas for larger imperial rivalries.
Managing Imperial Tensions
The 11-nation regional bloc’s top diplomats welcomed what they called “significant progress” in negotiations with China on a code of conduct. This code aims to prevent a major armed confrontation in the disputed waters, with an aim to conclude negotiations this year. Such reform efforts, however, often serve to extend the life of existing power structures, offering symbolic concessions that prevent deeper structural challenges to the concentration of wealth and power.
Ministerial meetings in Manila culminated Friday with the commemoration of ASEAN’s 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, a nonaggression pact established 50 years ago. Philippine Foreign Sec. Theresa Lazaro stated that in a time of global uncertainty, peace needs to be always defended. Lazaro’s assertion that “Peace is a daily choice. It requires continuous labor, deliberate restraint, inclusive dialogue and an unyielding adherence to the rule of law” frames the issue as one of individual choice and legal adherence, rather than a systemic struggle over resources and strategic control. The ongoing clashes demonstrate the limits of such liberal solutions in the face of material interests. The state, through its coast guard and diplomatic apparatus, continues to protect accumulated wealth and suppress challenges to the existing distribution of power, even as workers bear the immediate costs of these conflicts.