Following the clash between the China Coast Guard and local Navy troops in the West Philippines Sea this month, a YouTube video claims that Canada, France and Japan have attacked China supposedly to defend the Philippines. This is not true.
While the countries denounced China’s recent harassment of Philippine vessels, none have issued a pronouncement about deploying forces for an armed attack against China.
Uploaded on June 25, over a week after the clash, the video’s thumbnail bore a photo of a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship on fire along with a text that read:
“CANADA AT FRANCE UMAKSYON NA! KONTRA CHINA! MALAKING DIGMAN TO (Canada and France took action! Against China! This is a big war)?”
It also carried a headline that read: “KAKAPASOK LANG Sa Wakas! Pinas SUPURTADO na ng iBang Bansa, Japan BINIGYAN ng Leksy0n ang CHlNA (Just in finally! Philippines is supported by other countries, Japan taught China a lesson)?!!”
Canada, France and Japan have made no declarations of war against China but have expressed concern and condemned China’s ramming of Philippine Navy supply boats en route to Ayungin Shoal last June 17. Eight Filipino sailors were injured during the skirmish, including one who lost his thumb.
On the day of the incident, French Ambassador Marie Fontanel reiterated the need to respect the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, adding that France opposes “the use of force contrary to international law.”
On June 18, Canada’s global affairs department called China’s actions “dangerous and destabilizing” and urged them to abide by the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the South China Sea (SCS) dispute.
Japan said it “steadfastly opposes the dangerous and coercive use of Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea” and emphasized that the arbitral award is “final and legally binding on the parties.”
The 2016 arbitral award refuted China’s sweeping nine-dash line claim over the entire South China Sea and affirmed that Ayungin Shoal is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Meanwhile, the thumbnail image supposedly showing a CCG ship on fire beside a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel was also edited. The original pictures were not recent and taken from different sources.
The CCG ship picture came from a March 29 Reuters article which shows it was not really on fire while the photo of the PCG vessel was originally taken in June 2023 during the trilateral maritime exercise among the Philippines, Japan and United States.
The video did not show proof to support its claim but only played a clip of a June 24 Bombo Radyo news report on Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano saying that tensions between the Philippines and China could further escalate, as well as commentary from a previously fact-checked vlogger about the recent sea clash.
Uploaded by YouTube channel PHILIPPINES TRENDING NEWS and WANGBUDISS TV, the video has received 61,508 interactions. Facebook users reposted the links.
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