China and Philippines blame each other over South China Sea medical mission

China and the Philippines engaged in a heated exchange over a medical evacuation mission near the contested Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. The incident involved the evacuation of an injured Filipino serviceman from the grounded Philippine naval vessel BRP Sierra Madre. Known as Renai Jiao in China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines, Second Thomas Shoal is a highly disputed area in the region.

The Philippine Coast Guard accused Chinese Coast Guard vessels of obstructing the emergency evacuation, including through the use of a water cannon to prevent a Philippine patrol ship from reaching the shoal. This obstruction caused a nearly 10-hour delay and forced the Philippine vessel to withdraw for safety reasons, though the water cannon did not strike the ship, according to Admiral Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard.

The injured man was eventually airlifted to safety by rubber boat at a distant rendezvous point and was reported to be in stable condition. China's coastguard denied the Philippine account, stating that the Philippine Coast Guard vessel 4409 had approached the waters near Renai to transfer the injured person from a ship Beijing called "illegally grounded".

China claimed to have granted humanitarian assistance and provided necessary support during the operation, adhering to Chinese laws and regulations. Beijing accused Manila of "disregarding facts, reversing right and wrong" and attempting to mislead public opinion.

In a separate development, Manila reported a significant increase in Chinese military and coastguard vessels in the disputed South China Sea in September. According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, 101 Chinese vessels were recorded near four contested areas in September, compared to 56 in August. The increase, according to Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, is part of China's strategy to undermine Manila's ability to maintain operations in the disputed waters, aiming to "break our people's resolve to keep what is ours."

Both countries have been at odds over various incidents in the region, including harassment of Philippine aircraft and vessels near Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands. China has consistently claimed sovereignty over most of the islands and rocks in the South China Sea, including Second Thomas Shoal, despite a 2016 international arbitral ruling rejecting Beijing's historic rights claims. Manila regularly cites the ruling to support its maritime rights.