Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau
Chinese military personnel rammed two Philippine navy boats, boarded them and used axes, spears, machetes and hammers to damage the boats. The Chinese aggression in a disputed area of the South China Sea seemed similar to China’s Galwan Valley attack of June 2020. Indians called the Chinese aggression against the Filipinos “Galwan 2.0 in the South China Sea”.
Sirens blared as both troops yelled at each other. Among the several Filipino soldiers who were injured was one who lost his right thumb in the Chinese attack. After a scuffle, the Chinese damaged the boats and seized eight M4 rifles, which were packed in cases, navigation equipment and other supplies, reported The Associated Press on Tuesday
This seemed like a disturbing echo of the 2020 Galwan Valley incident involving the People’s Republic of China and the Indian Army, and Vice Admiral Girish Luthra (Retd) asked if this was “China’s Galwan-type tactics at sea?”
The Philippines military says Chinese coastguard boarding parties used swords, knives, spears etc, and injured Philippine personnel in the fight, in the incident off Second Thomas/Ayungin Shoal. China’s Galwan-type tactics at sea,” Girish Luthra, the former chief of the Indian Navy’s Western and Southern Naval Command wrote on X.
THE GALWAN VALLEY CLASHES OF 2020
As pointed by the Indian Navy veteran, the incident with the Filipinos, clearly echoes the incident in India’s Galwan Valley, where the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops first engaged in a series of brawls, then clashed with the Indian Army personnel using metal spiked clubs and barbed-wire wrapped rods.
On June 15, Indian and Chinese troops clashed for six hours in a steep mountainous section in Ladakh where both sides employed hand-to-hand combat using makeshift weapons like stones, batons, and iron rods.
The fighting took place in near-total darkness and sub-zero temperatures, with many soldiers falling to their deaths or being pushed off ridges. The clash resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, while China officially confirmed the deaths of four soldiers, although reports suggest that Chinese losses were much higher, with many soldiers drowning while attempting to cross the fast-flowing Galwan River.
Among the twenty Indian Army personnel, the Commanding Officer of the 16th Bihar Regiment, Colonel B Santosh Babu, was killed in the clashes initiated by aggressive PLA soldiers.
The Galwan clashes showed China’s unwarranted aggression towards its neighbours.
ECHO OF GALWAN IN CHINESE ATTACK IN SOUTH CHINA SEA (SCS)
The Chinese attack on the navy ships of the Philippines was flagged by many on social media as echoing the Galwan Valley clash of 2020.
After reports emerged of the PLA using axes, spears, machetes, and hammers to damage the boats, the X handle called, The Raisina Hills, wrote, “Galwan 2.0 in South China Sea. Chinese coast guards surround the Philippines’ boats, flashing spears & axes”
Galwan in the sea. Chinese coastguard brandishing melee weapons in their confrontation with the Philippines coastguard at Ayungin Shoal,” wrote another X handle, which specialises in open source intelligence.
Another user called Pasmanda Premi, while highlighting the similar tactics of the Chinese, said, “China is simply creating a reason for a war.”
THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE
The South China Sea has long been a flashpoint for territorial disputes between China and its neighbors, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan. China’s assertiveness in claiming nearly all of the South China Sea has led to tensions with other countries.
Recent incidents of Chinese aggression have raised concerns about a potential for military confrontation.
The recent South China Sea incident can also be viewed in light of a new Chinese law from 2021, that granted the coast guard authority to seize foreign ships that illegally enter China’s territorial waters and detain their crews for up to 60 days.
The law had met resistance from several governments of the littoral states, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
