The China Coast Guard said Monday that Philippine and Chinese vessels collided near Second Thomas Reef in the South China Sea as Beijing strengthens its territorial claims in the disputed waters.
Second Thomas Reef, known in Chinese as Ren’ai Reef, has seen intensifying clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels in recent months.
Such incidents have become commonplace as the Philippines tries to resupply the Philippine military garrison stationed on the stranded naval ship Sierra Madre to assert Manila’s claim over the reef.
The shoal is about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Palawan island in the western Philippines and more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Hainan island, the nearest major landmass to China.
China’s coast guard said a Philippine supply ship in the area had “repeatedly ignored solemn warnings from the Chinese side.”
“They approached the Chinese vessel in an unprofessional manner, causing a collision,” the Chinese government said.
The Chinese government accused the ship of “illegally entering waters near Ren’ai Reef in China’s Spratly Islands.”
“The China Coast Guard has taken restrictive measures against Philippine vessels in accordance with the law.”
In response, Manila said it “will not respect the China Coast Guard’s deceptive and misleading claims.”
“The primary concern remains the unlawful presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, which violates our sovereignty and sovereign rights,” the Philippine military said in a statement.
“The Coast Guard’s continued aggressive actions have increased tensions in the region,” it added.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring competing claims from Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines and international rulings that say its position has no legal basis.
The country has deployed coast guard and other vessels to patrol the area and has turned some reefs into militarized artificial islands.
In recent months, they have stepped up their activities against Philippine ships in the waters around the reef.
This month, Manila accused Chinese ships of illegally seizing food and medicine that had been airdropped to a Philippine military base in the area.
The military said it was the first time the supplies had been seized.
Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said the Chinese crew on board the vessel then dumped the items overboard.
The military said it was unclear whether they belonged to the China Coast Guard or Navy.
China responded by claiming the Sierra Madre had run aground on the reef illegally and called on the Philippines to “stop causing trouble.”
– A ‘dangerous’ intrusion –
New rules for the China Coast Guard came into effect on Saturday, allowing it to detain foreigners on suspicion of trespassing in disputed waters.
Manila has accused the Chinese coast guard of carrying out “barbaric and inhumane acts” against Philippine ships, and President Ferdinand Marcos called the new rules a “deeply disturbing” escalation.
China has defended the new coast guard rules, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying last month they were intended to “better maintain maritime order.”
China Coast Guard vessels have used water cannons multiple times against Philippine vessels in disputed waters.
Clashes have also occurred in which Philippine troops have been injured.
The Group of Seven (G7) on Friday criticised China’s “dangerous” incursions in the South China Sea.
The standoff between China and the Philippines has raised concerns about a broader maritime conflict that could draw in the United States and other allies.
Trillions of dollars of ship-borne trade pass through the South China Sea every year, and its ocean floor is thought to hold vast untapped oil and gas reserves, although estimates vary widely.
ll-oho/mtp
