The Philippines yesterday unveiled a major coast guard base on an island in the South China Sea to serve as a “steadfast sentinel of our sovereignty” in a disputed region closely guarded by China’s forces.
Chinese officials did not immediately react to the Philippines’ opening of its coast guard district command on Thitu Island (Jhongye Island, 中業島), which has been occupied by Filipino forces and civilians for decades, but is also claimed by Beijing, as well as Taiwan.
The China Coast Guard and other government-linked ships frequently patrol outlying waters off the island, which is also claimed by Vietnam. Chinese and Filipino forces have had tense, but mostly minor confrontations in outlying waters in the past.
Photo: Philippine Coast Guard via AP
In new incidents yesterday afternoon, the Philippine Coast Guard accused Chinese forces of firing flares toward its patrol aircraft in what it said was “a clear and deliberate act of bullying” that endangered Filipino personnel over the disputed Subi Reef (Jhubi Reef, 渚碧礁) and Mischief Reef (Meiji Reef, 美濟礁), which are occupied by China.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela did not immediately provide other details. There was also no immediate reaction from Chinese officials.
Philippine Secretary of Transportation Giovanni Lopez, Philippine Senator Erwin Tulfo and Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan flew to Thitu to unveil the command in a brief ceremony, which was held to coincide with the country’s Day of Valor commemoration.
“This is a permanent step for us to show that our coast guard is ready to defend our interest in the waters, our fishermen, their livelihood and, most importantly, our sovereignty,” Lopez said.
A marker in the new coast guard building said it was “established as the vanguard and steadfast sentinel of our sovereignty, sovereign rights and maritime jurisdiction.”
The coast guard command would be led by a commodore and backed up by an unspecified number of personnel, patrol ships and aircraft for law enforcement, monitoring, environmental protection and search and rescue. Smaller coast guard outposts would be built on smaller Philippine-occupied outcrops.
Surrounded by white beaches, the tadpole-shaped Thitu Island is called Pag-asa — Tagalog for “hope” — by about 400 Filipino villagers. It is one of nine islands, islets and atolls which have been held by Philippine forces since the 1970s.
More than a decade ago, China started transforming seven disputed reefs into island bases in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), including Subi Reef, now a major island base with a military-grade runway about 24km southeast of Thitu.
“Every day, our villagers see Chinese coast guard and militia ships all around the island,” Palawan Vice Mayor M.P. Albayda said. “This new coast guard district command is a big morale booster for them.”
