Philippines says China rammed, water cannoned vessels in South China Sea

The Philippines and China traded accusations on Sunday over a collision of their vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea as tensions over claims within the important waterway escalate.

The Philippine coast guard accused China of firing water cannons and ramming resupply vessels and a coast guard ship, inflicting “serious engine damage” to 1, whereas China’s coast guard mentioned the Philippine vessel deliberately rammed its ship.

China claims nearly the whole South China Sea, a conduit for greater than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, together with components claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Everlasting Courtroom of Arbitration in 2016 mentioned China’s claims had no authorized foundation.

Beijing and Manila have been taking part in cat-and-mouse across the uninhabited Second Thomas Shoal within the Philippines’ unique financial zone when the Philippines deploys resupply missions for Filipino troopers residing aboard an growing old warship intentionally run aground in 1999 to guard Manila’s maritime claims.

The shoal is a part of what are recognized internationally because the Spratly Islands.

On Saturday, the Philippines accused China of “illegal and aggressive actions” by China for firing water cannon at a civilian-operated authorities fishing vessel, a transfer Beijing referred to as authentic “control measures.”

In Sunday’s incident, China’s coast guard mentioned in a press release that two Philippine vessels, ignoring repeated warnings, had “illegally entered the waters adjacent to Ren’ai Reef in the Nansha Islands without the approval of the Chinese government.”

It mentioned the Unaizah Mae 1 “made an unprofessional and dangerous sudden turn, intentionally ramming into China Coast Guard vessel 21556.” It mentioned the Philippine facet bore full accountability.

Philippine coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela posted on the social media platform X that the “M/L Kalayaan suffered serious engine damage. Contrary to China Coast Guard disinformation, UM1 rammed by CCG vessel.”

A Philippine authorities process pressure condemned “China’s latest unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous maneuvers against a legitimate and routine” resupply mission. China’s motion “puts into question and significant doubt the sincerity of its calls for peaceful dialogue,” it mentioned in a press release.

The Nationwide Process Drive-West Philippine Sea mentioned a coast guard ship was towing the Kalayaan again to Palawan province and that coast guard vessel BRP Cabra had “suffered damage to its mast after being directly targeted by the full strength of the water cannon.”

U.S. Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson posted on X that China’s “aggression undermines regional stability in defiance of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Round 200 Philippine fishermen, youth leaders and civil society teams have joined a Christmas mission to the world, organized by the Atin Ito (“This is ours”) a civilian-led community asserting the nation’s rights within the South China Sea.

Ten fishing boats have determined to drag out as they “erred on the side of caution,” the group mentioned on Sunday.