Philippines had accused Chinese language coast guard of utilizing water cannons to “hinder” authorities boats (File)
Manila:
A Philippine boat and a Chinese language Coast Guard ship collided close to a hotly contested reef on Sunday, with each international locations buying and selling blame for the newest such confrontation within the disputed South China Sea.
The incident occurred throughout a Philippine resupply mission to a tiny garrison on Second Thomas Shoal within the Spratly Islands, which is a flashpoint for Manila and Beijing.
It comes a day after the Philippines accused the Chinese language coast guard of utilizing water cannons to “hinder” three authorities boats delivering provisions to Filipino fishermen close to Scarborough Shoal, off the principle island of Luzon.
Longstanding tensions between Manila and Beijing over the ocean have flared in current months following a number of incidents involving Philippine and Chinese language vessels, together with two earlier collisions.
China claims nearly the complete South China Sea, together with waters and islands close to the shores of its neighbours, and has ignored a world tribunal ruling that its assertions haven’t any authorized foundation. It deploys boats to patrol the busy waterway and has constructed synthetic islands that it has militarised to bolster its claims.
The Philippines mentioned Sunday that “China Coast Guard and Chinese language Maritime Militia vessels harassed, blocked, and executed harmful maneuvers on Philippine civilian provide vessels”.
Considered one of two boats carrying provisions was “rammed” by a Chinese language coast guard ship, the Nationwide Job Pressure for the West Philippine Sea mentioned in a press release.
A Chinese language ship additionally used water cannon towards the 2 provide boats and a Philippine Coast Guard vessel escorting the mission, the multi-agency process power mentioned.
That precipitated “extreme injury” to the engine of one of many provide boats and broken the mast of the coast guard vessel, it mentioned.
The China Coast Guard, nevertheless, accused the Philippine boat of “intentionally colliding” with the Chinese language vessel after “disregarding our a number of stern warnings”.
The Philippine boat “modified course immediately in an unprofessional, harmful method, intentionally colliding with our Coast Guard Vessel 21556, which was on a standard legislation enforcement route, and precipitated a scrape”, the China Coast Guard mentioned in a press release.
“The duty lies totally with the Philippine aspect,” it mentioned.
Deteriorating Relations
Hours earlier than the newest incident, a civilian convoy involving 100 Filipino fishermen launched into a visit that may cross Second Thomas Shoal as a part of a mission to ship Christmas cheer and provisions to distant outposts.
The organisers mentioned they had been “nonetheless continuing with the agreed upon route” regardless of Sunday’s confrontation.
Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 km (124 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan, and greater than 1,000 km from China’s nearest main landmass, Hainan island.
A handful of Filipino troops are stationed on the crumbling BRP Sierra Madre, which the Philippine Navy grounded on the reef in 1999 to test China’s advance within the waters.
The troops depend upon the resupply missions for his or her survival.
One of many provide boats was capable of ship its cargo on Sunday, whereas the one concerned within the collision was being towed by a Philippine Coast Guard vessel to Palawan, the duty power mentioned.
The Philippines and China have a protracted historical past of maritime incidents within the contested South China Sea, by way of which trillions of {dollars} of commerce cross yearly.
Relations between Manila and Beijing have deteriorated underneath President Ferdinand Marcos, who has sought to enhance ties with conventional ally Washington and push again towards Chinese language actions within the South China Sea.
Marcos warned final month that the state of affairs within the waters had turn out to be “extra dire”.
Final Sunday, the Philippines reported greater than 135 Chinese language vessels “swarming” a reef off its coast, describing the boats’ rising presence as “alarming”.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
