China Blockades Second Thomas Shoal, Cutting Off Supply Convoy
![A China Coast Guard vessel cuts across the bow of a Philippine Coast Guard cutter, risking collision, while a second CCG cutter waits in the background (center left) (PCG / Sen. Migz Zubiri)](/media/images/article/Photos/Wreckage_Salvage/CCG-standoff-Second-Thomas-Oct-4-2023.9f0186.jpg)
Once again, the China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia have blockaded and harassed a Philippine supply convoy at Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippine Navy maintains a small outpost to defend Manila's maritime claims. This time, the resupply mission occurred against the backdrop of a large-scale naval drill involving U.S. and Philippine forces based out of Manila.
Video taken by the Philippine Coast Guard and shared by Philippine Senate President Migz Zubiri shows a flotilla of Chinese vessels maneuvering to block the passage of the convoy. One small China Coast Guard patrol vessel cut directly across the bow of a Philippine cutter from the PCG vessel's port side - an apparent violation of the international Rules of the Road (COLREGS), which state that the vessel to port is the give-way vessel in an ordinary crossing situation. The PCG cutter was forced to put propulsion astern in order to avoid a collision.
SP @migzzubiri Dangerous maneuvers once again in todays resupply mission. @dzbb
— Nimfa R. Ravelo (@nimfaravelo) October 4, 2023
videos from PCG shared by SP @migzzubiri pic.twitter.com/5lHFZsPr2m
Satellite-based vessel tracking provided by Ray Powell of maritime transparency initiative SeaLight suggests that at least 12 maritime militia fishing vessels were present during the standoff, accompanied by at least three nearby China Coast Guard cutters. In addition to the CCG maneuvering captured on video above, one maritime militia trawler appears to have made a close pass in front of the PCG cutter BRP Cabra, and another came within meters of BRP Sindagan, though this was not possible to immediately confirm with visual evidence.
UPDATE: ????????BRP Cabra & Sindangan now moving away from the shoal. Closest approach was ~16km.
— Ray Powell (@GordianKnotRay) October 4, 2023
Harassment & dangerous maneuvers by ????????PRC ships--esp. by Qiong Sansha Yu 00008, which crossed within a few meters of Cabra, and by 00231 which passed within a few meters of Sindangan. https://t.co/k6YqpQeBmo pic.twitter.com/iCPZfrdoeL
The tracking suggests that the Philippine Coast Guard was able to approach Second Thomas Shoal no closer than 16 kilometers because of the Chinese blockade. However, the Philippine government later issued a statement claiming that two supply boats had managed to make it through the Chinese blockade and reached the military outpost on the reef.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy is engaged in a nearby multilateral exercise with the U.S., Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Australia. Four of these nations have dispatched vessels to join the drills at sea. According to U.S. 7th Fleet, the participating vessels include the dry cargo ship USNS Wally Schirra, destroyer USS Dewey, the Philippine Navy's BRP Antonio Luna, Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force’s JS Akebono and the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Vancouver.