personnel ramming and boarding

The CCG and militia presence around Second Thomas Shoal remained elevated in the first six months of 2024. They changed their tactics to more aggressively damage Philippine vessels, leading to multiple injuries to Filipino personnel and a growing anxiety that an accidental fatality might trigger US defence obligations under the US–Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. This came to a head on 17 June 2024 when the Philippines was unable to complete a resupply mission due to CCG personnel ramming and boarding Philippine vessels while armed with knives and other weapons. A Filipino sailor had his thumb severed during the clash, and it took hours for China to allow his evacuation. The tone of US–China and Philippines–China meetings shifted as Beijing seemed concerned that the incident came close to triggering US intervention due to the near death of a Filipino sailor. สล็อตเว็บตรง