An exclusive video recently obtained by the Global Times clearly shows extensive burn marks on a grounded Philippine military vessel, which has been illegally stranded at the lagoon slope of Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef) since 1999.
This follows a recent CGTN video that captured heavy smoke billowing from the vessel on Saturday. The footage exposes a series of environmentally damaging activities onboard, posing a significant threat to the ecosystem at Ren'ai Jiao.
The video clip obtained by the Global Times clearly shows the deck of the dilapidated warship strewn with charred debris and waste, with accumulated waste and leaking oil visible. A large circular container holds recently burned plastic waste.
The Philippine Navy released a statement on Tuesday, claiming that the smoke observed from the vessel was the result of "a fire drill."
Wang Yuanbo, a fire control expert, analyzed that based on the burn marks shown in the video, the affected area appears extensive, even reaching the ship's hull.
However, fire drills typically strictly control the burn location. According to standard fire drill protocols, the ignition point for ship fires is usually set in areas with dense combustible materials, rather than on the deck, Wang told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Based on this, the debris and marks in the footage do not appear to be the result of "a fire drill" as the Philippine side claimed, the expert said.
Additionally, Wang noted that the smoke observed in earlier footage released by CGTN suggests liquefied hydrocarbons or diesel might have been used at the burn site to facilitate the incineration of various types of waste.
When Philippine soldiers ignited garbage on the illegally grounded vessel at Ren'ai Jiao, the rising black smoke not only polluted the air and waters of the South China Sea, but also underscored the persistent violations of international law and ecological ethics, Yang Xiao, an international strategy scholar who has long tracked issues in the South China Sea, told the Global Times.
This ongoing ecological destruction, which includes garbage burning that has persisted for 26 years, not only severely contravenes international conventions, but also poses a serious threat to the health and safety of personnel on site. It represents a blatant disregard for the 1972 United Nations Declaration on the Human Environment and challenges human conscience, Yang said.
The pollutants pose an even greater threat to marine life in the area, and if consumed by humans, these pollutants could pose even greater risks, Yang noted. "This vessel has become a 'toxic tumor' to the marine ecosystem of Renai Jiao."
In July 2024, China's Ministry of Natural Resources released a report based on an unprecedented, comprehensive on-site ecosystem survey around Ren'ai Jiao, providing solid evidence that the grounded warship has caused damage to coral reefs and environmental pollution in the South China Sea.
The survey, based on remote sensing and field investigations, revealed a sharp decline in scleractinia coral populations on the reef flat and lagoon slope of Ren'ai Jiao, particularly around the area where the Philippine military vessel is illegally grounded. High concentrations of heavy metals, dissolved inorganic phosphorus, and oils were also found in the area, along with human-generated waste, including fishing nets,
according to the survey report.
In recent years, the Philippines has frequently portrayed itself as a so-called "environmental guardian" on the international stage while accusing China of damaging the marine environment. However, the smoke from Ren'ai Jiao reveals this hypocrisy: when the focus is on China, the Philippines presents its claims with apparent righteousness; yet when the spotlight turns to itself, it remains silent about its own actions of burning garbage and dumping waste at Ren'ai Jiao, Ding Duo, director of the Research Center for International and Regional Studies at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times.
"This double standard prompts questions: if the Philippines truly cares about the ecology of the South China Sea, why has it not removed this dilapidated vessel? Why does it allow personnel onboard to burn waste and discharge sewage?" Ding asked.
The China Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun said in a statement on Tuesday that with China's permission, the Philippines sent a civilian ship to carry daily supplies to its warship illegally grounded at the Ren'ai Jiao on Tuesday. The CCG supervised the whole process.
China urges the Philippines to honor its commitment, stop hyping up, and work with China to properly manage the maritime situation. The CCG will continue to carry out rights protection and law enforcement activities in the Nansha Qundao, including the Ren'ai Jiao, and its adjacent waters in accordance with law, according to the statement.
