Philippine ship collides with Chinese ship in the South China Sea

A Philippine ship and a Chinese vessel collided on Monday near the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, the Chinese coast guard said, UNN reports citing France24.

Details

Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, rejecting competing claims by several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, as well as an international ruling that its position has no legal basis.

China has deployed coast guards and other boats to patrol the waters and has turned several reefs into paramilitary artificial islands. Chinese and Philippine vessels have had a number of clashes in the disputed areas.

On Saturday, new rules for the Chinese Coast Guard came into effect, according to which it can detain foreigners for allegedly trespassing in the disputed sea.

Beijing's coast guard said on Monday that "the Philippine resupply vessel ignored many serious warnings from the Chinese side.

It "unprofessionally approached... the Chinese vessel, which led to a collision," the statement said.

Beijing accused the ship of "illegally entering the sea near Renai Reef in the Nansha Islands," using the Chinese name for the Spratly Islands.

"The Chinese Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with the law," the agency added.

Manila has accused the Chinese coast guard of "barbaric and inhumane behavior" towards Philippine vessels, and President Ferdinand Marcos called the new rules a "very disturbing" escalation.

China has defended the new coast guard rules. A spokesperson for the country's foreign ministry said last month that they are designed to "better maintain order at sea.

Chinese coast guard vessels have repeatedly used water cannons against Philippine boats in disputed waters.

There were also clashes that resulted in injuries to Philippine military personnel.

Addendum

The Group of Seven bloc on Friday criticized what it called China's "dangerous" incursion into the South China Sea.

The South China Sea is a vital waterway to which Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei also have overlapping claims in some parts.

More recently, however, the confrontation between China and the Philippines has raised fears of a broader conflict at sea that could involve the United States and other allies.

Trillions of dollars worth of maritime trade passes through the South China Sea every year, and vast undeveloped oil and gas deposits are believed to lie beneath its seabed, although estimates vary widely.