The Philippines and China accuse each other of “intentional collisions”.
of the Philippines and Chinese Coast Guard vessels have clashed again in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
The parties blame each other for the incident.
The news agencies AFP and Reuters report on the matter.
There have been between Chinese and Philippine ships repeated incidents In the strategically important waters of the South China Sea.
On Sunday, the Philippine Coast Guard accused China of deliberately ramming and firing water cannons at Philippine vessels.
According to the Chinese coast guard, the Filipino ship, on the other hand, collided with the Chinese ship on purpose.
The photo shows the Chinese Coast Guard firing a water cannon at a Philippine vessel, says the Philippine Coast Guard.
Incident happened in the Ayung Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, where the Philippine base, the former warship BRP Sierra Madre, is located.
In 1999, the Philippine Navy stationed a handful of Filipino troops on the ship to prevent China from taking over the waters.
According to the Philippines, the incident was related to the so-called Christmas procession organized by an organization called Atin Ito (This is ours).
A couple of hundred Filipino fishermen and NGO representatives had set out in a boat convoy to transport Christmas supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre ship.
According to the Philippines, the Chinese Coast Guard had fired water cannons at three ships, one of which suffered serious engine damage.
China for its part, on Sunday accused a Philippine vessel of an “intentional collision” with a Chinese coast guard vessel.
According to China’s coast guard, four Filipino ships had “illegally invaded” the waters of the Spratly Islands claimed by China on Sunday morning.
The Philippine vessel “ignored several warnings from the China Coast Guard and suddenly changed course in an unprofessional and dangerous manner and deliberately collided with Coast Guard Vessel 21556,” the Chinese Coast Guard said in a statement released on Sunday.
China controls almost the entire South China Sea, through which billions of dollars worth of cargo passes each year.
The Ayung Basin is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, while China’s nearest large land area, Hainan Island, is more than a thousand kilometers away.
China claims that almost the entire South China Sea belongs to China. The International Court of Arbitration found in 2016 that China’s claims have no legal basis.
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