A collision between a Philippine ship and a Chinese vessel occurred on Monday near the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, according to Beijing’s Coast Guard.
Beijing claims nearly the entirety of the South China Sea, a vital waterway facilitating over $3 trillion in annual maritime trade which is subject to overlapping claims by several nations, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
China deploys various boats to patrol the waters and has transformed several reefs into militarised artificial islands. A series of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels have occurred in disputed areas.
New Chinese coast guard rules took effect on Saturday, June 15, which reinforce a 2021 law granting its coastguard the authority to use deadly force against foreign vessels in contested waters.
Under these new rules, China’s coastguard is empowered to apprehend suspected trespassers and detain them for up to 60 days without the need for a trial.
In a statement, the Beijing’s Coast Guard said, “Philippine replenishment ship ignored many solemn warnings from the Chinese side”.
It “approached the… Chinese vessel in an unprofessional way, resulting in a collision”, the statement said.
“The Chinese Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with the law,” it added.
Beijing accused the ship of having “illegally broken into the sea near Ren’ai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands”, using the Chinese name for the Spratly Islands.
Manila has accused the Chinese coast guard of “barbaric and inhumane behaviour” against Philippine vessels, and President Ferdinand Marcos has called the new rules a “very worrisome” escalation.
China has defended its new coast guard rules, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying last month that they were intended to “better uphold order at sea”.
The Group of Seven bloc criticised what it called “dangerous” incursions by China in the South China Sea on Friday. Recent confrontations between China and the Philippines have raised concerns about a wider conflict over the sea that could involve the United States and other allies.
Multiple dollars in ship-borne trade passes through the South China Sea annually, and vastly unexploited oil and gas deposits that are believed to lie beneath its seabed, although estimates vary greatly.
The Philippines has encountered various challenges while attempting to provide supplies to its troops stationed on an old naval vessel that was intentionally grounded to assert the country’s maritime claims.
Chinese Coast Guard ships have employed water cannons to target boats from the Philippines on multiple occasions and several collisions have occurred, resulting in injuries to the Filipino troops.
(With inputs from agencies)
Beijing claims nearly the entirety of the South China Sea, a vital waterway facilitating over $3 trillion in annual maritime trade which is subject to overlapping claims by several nations, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
China deploys various boats to patrol the waters and has transformed several reefs into militarised artificial islands. A series of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels have occurred in disputed areas.
New Chinese coast guard rules took effect on Saturday, June 15, which reinforce a 2021 law granting its coastguard the authority to use deadly force against foreign vessels in contested waters.
Under these new rules, China’s coastguard is empowered to apprehend suspected trespassers and detain them for up to 60 days without the need for a trial.
In a statement, the Beijing’s Coast Guard said, “Philippine replenishment ship ignored many solemn warnings from the Chinese side”.
It “approached the… Chinese vessel in an unprofessional way, resulting in a collision”, the statement said.
“The Chinese Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with the law,” it added.
Beijing accused the ship of having “illegally broken into the sea near Ren’ai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands”, using the Chinese name for the Spratly Islands.
Manila has accused the Chinese coast guard of “barbaric and inhumane behaviour” against Philippine vessels, and President Ferdinand Marcos has called the new rules a “very worrisome” escalation.
China has defended its new coast guard rules, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying last month that they were intended to “better uphold order at sea”.
The Group of Seven bloc criticised what it called “dangerous” incursions by China in the South China Sea on Friday. Recent confrontations between China and the Philippines have raised concerns about a wider conflict over the sea that could involve the United States and other allies.
Multiple dollars in ship-borne trade passes through the South China Sea annually, and vastly unexploited oil and gas deposits that are believed to lie beneath its seabed, although estimates vary greatly.
The Philippines has encountered various challenges while attempting to provide supplies to its troops stationed on an old naval vessel that was intentionally grounded to assert the country’s maritime claims.
Chinese Coast Guard ships have employed water cannons to target boats from the Philippines on multiple occasions and several collisions have occurred, resulting in injuries to the Filipino troops.
(With inputs from agencies)