Sweden's defense chief has expressed alarm over Beijing's repeated dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, saying such actions threaten global security, undermine stability and underscore the need to invest "for our security and freedom."

Defense Minister Pål Jonson spoke Thursday night in a diplomatic reception in Manila for Sweden's national day after meeting his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro Jr., on expanding defense relations. Sweden is one of the possible sources of supersonic fighter jets that the Philippines plans to acquire as its military shifts focus from decades of fighting communist and Muslim insurgencies to territorial defense.

"Let me express my deep concern on the repeated dangerous maneuvers against Philippines vessels that have been taking place in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea," Jonson said. He did not mention China in his speech but drew applause from an audience that included top Philippine military and security officials and Western and Asian diplomats.

Jonson used the name the Philippines has adopted for the stretch of waters called the exclusive economic zone extending from its western coast to the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety and guards closely with its coast guard, navy and other ships.

Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine government ships over two disputed shoals have flared alarmingly since last year, causing collisions.

China's use of powerful water cannons had damaged Philippine vessels, injured several Filipino navy personnel, and strained diplomatic relations. Manila has filed diplomatic protests and publicized Chinese actions against the Philippine coast guard and navy vessels in an effort to gain international support.

"These acts put human lives at risk, they undermine regional stability and international law and they threaten the security in the region and beyond," Jonson said. "These are not only threats to your national security but threats to our common global security."

The Philippines coast guard belatedly reported Friday that one of its high-speed boats was blocked and surrounded by Chinese coast guard vessels as it approached a Philippine territorial outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal on May 19 to get a sick Filipino military sailor from a navy boat deployed near the shoal outpost.

"Despite informing the Chinese coast guard via radio and public address system about the humanitarian nature of our mission for medical evacuation, they still engaged in dangerous maneuvers and even intentionally rammed the Philippine navy boat while transporting the sick personnel," the Philippine coast guard said. Despite the dangerous blockings, the Philippine coast guard said the medical evacuation was carried out successfully.

While Sweden and the Philippines deeply value peace, Jonson said, "we also understand that we get peace through strength" and underlined the strategic need for investing "for our security and freedom." Aside from the Philippines, Sweden has been strengthening defense ties with the United States, Japan and Australia, Jonson said, citing his country's decision in March to join the NATO alliance, turning away from a long policy of neutrality after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Sweden, he said, stands firm behind the call of the European Union and other governments for restraint and full respect for international law in the South China Sea "to ensure peaceful resolution of differences and a reduction of tensions in the region." The United Nations charter, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and other similar international regulations that aim to protect civilians at sea "should be respected at all times," he said.

Escalation

China's actions against Philippine vessels are signs of escalation of hostilities, experts said Saturday.

Dr. Jonathan Anticamara of the University of the Philippines (UP) Institute of Biology and Jay Batongbacal of the UP College of Law issued the statement a day after China's Coast Guard blocked and rammed Philippine boats evacuating ailing soldiers in the WPS.

"Definitely, that is an escalation. It is clear that China is the one that is always escalating the situation," Anticamara said in a news forum Saturday.

Anticamara mentioned the Chinese harassment of Filipino supply vessels to BRP Sierra Madre and the scientific survey in the Sabina Shoal.

"We have been on Ayungin Shoal through BRP Sierra Madre since 1999, our resupply continues there since 1999 – that's even before the 2002 Declaration of (Code of) Conduct when we said to freeze that status quo," he said.

Anticamara said the Philippines was resorting to air dropping supplies since its resupply ships were being blocked.

"Their behavior has changed. So, that is definitely an escalation and they are always escalating," he added.

Batongbacal said that the Chinese are provoking.

"They are, every so often, increasing or escalating the situation," he added.

Meanwhile, Anticamara said an "ecological disaster" is happening in the WPS, particularly in Sabina Shoal due to the presence of Chinese vessels and climate change.

"There is extensive damage of corals underwater. That is (our) overall assessment," he said.

Anticamara made a visual presentation of their survey in Sabina Shoal, also called Escoda Shoal, which he described as "completely dead." "There is a growing pile of rubble that's been observed in recent years," he said. "But since we didn't see China dumping it... We're not 100 percent sure if there is dumping or reclamation," he said.

"We need to take some concrete action so that we can recover and restore degraded coral reefs in the Philippines," Anticamara said.

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