BEIJING (AP) — China’s coast guard said Monday that a Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
The Coast Guard said a Philippine supply ship had entered waters near Second Thomas Reef, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands that is claimed by several countries.
In a statement on social media platform WeChat, the Chinese coast guard said the Philippine supply ship had “ignored China’s repeated and solemn warnings and made an unprofessional and dangerous approach to a Chinese ship on normal navigation, causing a collision.”
“The Philippines takes full responsibility for this matter,” he added.
There was no immediate comment from the Philippine government.
The Philippines claims the shoal, within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) of the island’s coast, is within its internationally recognized exclusive economic zone. 2016 International Arbitration The ruling invalidates China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea on historical grounds.
Several incidents have occurred in recent months near the shoal, where the Philippines is stationed with the BRP Sierra Madre.
The territorial dispute has strained ties between the two countries and raised concerns that the dispute could lead China and the United States, a longtime treaty ally of the Philippines, to a military conflict. Washington has no claim to the busy seaway, a vital global trade route, but We have a duty to protect the Philippines. If Philippine military forces, ships or aircraft come under armed attack in the South China Sea.
Besides China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are also involved in a long-simmering territorial dispute that is seen as a flashpoint in Asia and a sensitive rift in the long-standing U.S.-China rivalry in the region.
