A collision between a Philippine vessel and a Chinese vessel occurred in the Spratly Islands, in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

According to the Beijing Coast Guard, the Manila ship "ignored many warnings" and "approached the Chinese ship in an unprofessional manner, causing the collision," it said in a statement.

Beijing accused the ship of having "illegally entered the sea near Ren'ai Reef in the Nansha Islands", the Chinese name for the Spratlys. But the Coast Guard “took enforcement measures against the Philippine vessel in accordance with the law.”

The episode occurred near Second Thomas, a submerged coral reef in the Spratly Islands which is part of the territory claimed by several nations, ignoring - according to the note posted on official social networks - "the repeated warnings from China". It came “dangerously close to a Chinese ship in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, causing a collision. The Philippines is entirely responsible for this,” the statement said.

The Philippines says the shoal, which lies less than 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its coast, falls within its internationally recognized exclusive economic zone and frequently cites the 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated the expansive claims of Beijing in the South China Sea based on historical reasons.

In recent months, several incidents have occurred near the shoal, where the Philippines maintains a position aboard the BRP Sierra Madre ship that ran aground in 1999 to strengthen its claims to the area. The territorial disputes have strained relations and raised fears that the conflict could bring China and the United States, the Philippines' longtime ally, into a military clash. Washington makes no territorial claims on the busy sea route, a global trade route, but has warned that it is obliged to defend the Philippines if Philippine forces, ships and aircraft come under armed attack in the South China Sea.

(Unioneonline)

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