A Chinese language ship and a Philippine provide ship collided on Monday close to the disputed Spratly Islands within the South China Sea, China’s coast guard mentioned.
The coast guard mentioned a Philippine provide ship entered waters close to Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef within the Spratly Islands that’s a part of territory claimed by a number of nations.
The Chinese language coast guard mentioned in an announcement on social media platform WeChat that the Philippine provide ship “ignored China’s repeated solemn warnings… and got here dangerously near a Chinese language ship in regular navigation in an unprofessional method, which prompted a collision.”
“The Philippines is totally chargeable for this,” he added.
No remark was instantly accessible from the Philippine authorities.
The Philippines says the sandbar, which is lower than 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its coast, lies inside its internationally acknowledged unique financial zone and sometimes cites a 2016 worldwide arbitration ruling that invalidated the broad claims. of China within the South China Sea based mostly on historic background. gardens.
In current months, a number of incidents have occurred close to the sandbar, the place the Philippines maintains a publish aboard the BRP ship Sierra Madre.
The territorial disputes have strained relations and raised fears that the battle may lead China and the US, a long-standing treaty ally of the Philippines, right into a army confrontation. Washington has no territorial claims over the busy sea lane, a key international commerce route, however has warned it’s obligated to defend the Philippines if Philippine forces, ships and plane come beneath armed assault within the South China Sea.
Along with China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are additionally concerned in long-running territorial disputes, that are seen as a flashpoint in Asia and a fragile dividing line within the long-running rivalry between the US and China within the area.
