In this photo taken from a handout video provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a Chinese coast guard ship with bow number 5205 is seen colliding with the Philippine Coast Guard Ship BRP Teresa Magbanua near Sabina Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on Aug. 31, 2024. | Photo credit: AP
China has accused the Philippines of deliberately attacking the coast guard ship. Collision with Chinese ship The border dispute with China will be discussed on Saturday (August 31, 2024), in the latest round of tensions over disputed waters and maritime features in the South China Sea.
In a statement posted on social media, Chinese coast guard spokesman Liu Dejun was quoted as saying that the Philippine ship with hull number 9701 collided with Chinese Ship 5205 just after 12:06 pm (04:06 GMT) on Saturday.
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Liu was quoted as saying that as the Philippine ship conducted maneuvers, it “intentionally rammed into” the Chinese coast guard ship “in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a collision.” He added the claim that the Chinese ship was operating within the rules, without giving any details.
China is rapidly expanding its military power and has become increasingly assertive in its claims to the South China Sea, vital to international trade. Tensions have led to a growing number of confrontations, particularly with the Philippines, whose security the US is bound by treaty to ensure. Long-standing territorial disputes also involve other claimants such as Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
China has rejected a ruling by a UN-backed arbitration panel that rejected almost all of Beijing’s historical claims in the South China Sea.
On Tuesday, the head of the US Indo-Pacific Command said the US military is ready to consult about escorting Philippine ships in disputed waters amid an escalation in hostilities. Admiral Samuel Paparo’s comments offered a glimpse into the mindset of the highest US military commander outside the US mainland over a potential operation that would risk putting US Navy ships in direct confrontation with Chinese vessels.
Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia vessels regularly clash with Philippine ships during attempts to resupply Filipino sailors stationed in parts of the South China Sea that both countries claim. As these clashes increase, resulting in injuries to Filipino sailors and damage to their ships, the Philippine government is facing questions about enforcing the treaty alliance with Washington.
The recent incident comes days after Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships collided near the disputed atoll Sabina Shoal. At least two ships were reported damaged in the collision on Monday, but no injuries were reported.
Sabina Shoal is located within the Philippines’ internationally recognized Exclusive Economic Zone, about 140 kilometers (85 mi) west of the Philippine province of Palawan.
The atoll is near Second Thomas Shoal, another flashpoint where China has hindered the resupply of Philippine forces. The two countries reached an agreement last month to prevent further confrontations over the shoal.
On Saturday, Japan lodged a formal protest through the Chinese embassy over the intrusion into Japanese waters by a Chinese survey ship. The latest incident has added to the uneasiness among Japanese defense officials, who are already concerned about growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.
On Monday, Tokyo also protested the entry of a Chinese military aircraft into Japan’s southwestern airspace. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday that his country had “no intention” to violate any country’s airspace.