Reuters
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 08:57
The Philippines has once again called on China to stop “provocative actions” in the South China Sea. Yesterday, a Chinese coast guard ship collided with a Philippine boat that was being deployed to supply an atoll.
Manila speaks of “dangerous blocking maneuvers” by the Chinese ship. It has also summoned the Chinese ambassador and lodged a diplomatic protest, the Foreign Ministry said.
A spokesman for the Philippines’ National Security Council said the Philippine boat was damaged by the Chinese action but no one was injured.
Images of the collision can be seen here:
Collision between Chinese and Philippine ship
The confrontation was at a ring island in the South China Sea, which in the West is the Second Thomas Shoal is called. That atoll is located near the Spratly Islands, west of the Philippines. As with many islands in that archipelago, several countries in the region claim this atoll. In this case, the island and surrounding coral reef are claimed by both China and the Philippines, which has a small military presence there.
The Philippine ship was resupplying the BRP Sierra Madre, a former warship moored at the Second Thomas Shoal.
The Chinese coast guard is talking about a “minor collision” between one of its ships and the Philippine boat. According to the Coast Guard, the boat was used to transport “illegal construction materials” to the warship and the blockade was lawful.
The South China Sea is one of the busiest trade routes in the world and also one of the most disputed areas. For years there have been tensions between China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei over territorial claims. This regularly leads to confrontations at sea.
Correspondent Mustafa Marghadi visited the Spratly Islands last summer, where countries in the region have been ‘island grabbing’ for years:
Island grabbing in disputed waters, on ‘vacation’ in the South China Sea
2023-10-23 06:57:13
#Philippines #angry #China #collision #South #China #Sea
