South China Sea: Marcos Jnr’s late response to clash marks Manila’s muted stance, diplomacy

The Philippines is maintaining a muted stance on the recent clash between its navy and the Chinese coastguard in the South China Sea, observers say, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr seen to be playing down the incident to avoid touching on responses or “red lines” that might escalate tensions further.

Manila also said the confrontation last week at the Second Thomas Shoal was not an armed attack but a misunderstanding that could be resolved through talks, with Marcos Jnr on Sunday telling troops they were “not in the business to instigate wars” nearly a week after the incident.

The saga centres on Chinese coastguard personnel on June 17 boarding a Philippine vessel that was resupplying a military outpost in the disputed waters, with Manila accusing Beijing of intentionally ramming its ship and causing injuries to Filipino sailors, including one who lost his thumb.

Philippine forces were on a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era vessel grounded on Second Thomas Shoal that operates as a remote base for the country’s troops. The flashpoint is known to Manila as the Ayungin Shoal, while Beijing calls it Renai Jiao. Both sides claim sovereignty over the feature.