Chinese Coast Guard vessels ram, fire water cannons at BFAR ship in Escoda Shoal. ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The United States Coast Guard in the Pacific region said it is “almost stunning” how China seems to imply that ramming vessels is an acceptable norm in the enforcement of international law.

Rear Admiral Andrew Sugimoto, Deputy Commander of the US Coast Guard Pacific, explained that “collision regulations in which all maritime, countries abide by in order to safely navigate the oceans of the world are specifically designed to prevent vessels from ramming each other or hitting each other.”

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“So it's a little astounding to say that I'm going to break the law in order to uphold the law. It just doesn't make sense. And I think most nations out there see that as unsafe and unprofessional conduct, which only highlights and further emphasizes the bullying that is going on. Right?” he said.

Sugimoto reiterated that the US stands with the Philippines and condemns aggressive behaviors at sea, including ramming vessels and blocking humanitarian missions. 

This, after the August 25 incident, where a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel rammed the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel, BRP Datu Sanday, multiple times near Escoda Shoal, followed by an intense water cannon barrage, allegedly to target the vessel’s navigational equipment, while on a humanitarian mission for Filipino fishermen.

READ: Chinese vessels ram, fire water cannon at BFAR ship at Escoda Shoal

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs insisted that the Philippine vessel was intruding in its territory, despite the lack of basis. It also asserted that the actions were “professional, restrained and appropriate” and in accordance with domestic and international law.

US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson immediately called out China’s “unsafe, unlawful, and aggressive conduct” that “disrupted a legal Philippine mission.” 

Other diplomats in the Philippines followed suit. Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya called the incident “unacceptable,” Australia, France and South Korea expressed concern and appealed for respect of international law.

“I challenge people to find other place in the world where rules law-abiding countries that conduct safe and professional operations are going and ramming other vessels. It just doesn't happen. Nor do we go around and taking water cannons, basically trying to flood out vessels and sink them. That is not what we call safe and professional operations. So I just wanna highlight that part in the context of the statement itself, how, disconnected that seems from reality,” Sugimoto added.

READ:China Coast Guard, PLAN block anew PH vessels going to Escoda

Sugimoto said the US Coast Guard in the Pacific is already working with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in many different ways. Aside from having transferred vessels to the PCG, they have helped with operations, maintenance of ships, and training.

“That's what we are here for in training, capacity building, legal structures, building up the laws necessary to support them, MDA, any of those things. And so we are very grateful for that partnership, and we are grateful for the professional and truly safe way in which the Philippines have responded back to this, because it really demonstrates that this nation, the Philippines, do stand for the conduct that we all recognize as what we want in this world and not that of the other individual that keeps bullying, smaller nations,” he added.

The US is also working with several like-minded nations in the Indo-Pacific.

 According to Sugimoto, the US has already shifted some resources to the Pacific to meet commitments including deploying the US Coast Guard’s Indo-Pacific Support Cutter, patrols in the Western Pacific, and exercises with partners including the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan. 

The US Coast Guard Pacific has also assisted in the oil spill cleanup, caused by the sinking of MTKR Terranova near Bataan.

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