Philippines, China Trade Blame After Vessels Collide In Major South China Sea Escalation

In a fresh escalation of tensions in the South China Sea, the Philippines and China have accused each other of ramming vessels and performing dangerous manoeuvres in the South China Sea. This latest confrontation comes despite previous agreements by both nations to de-escalate and manage their maritime disputes. 

In a statement, China’s Coast Guard said that a Philippine vessel which had ignored its repeated warnings "deliberately collided" with a Chinese vessel in an "unprofessional and dangerous" manner in the disputed waterway early on Monday. 

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However, the Philippines refuted Beijing's claim saying that while on their way to supply Filipino personnel stationed in two seized islands, two of its coast guard vessels "encountered unlawful and aggressive manoeuvres" from Chinese warships near Sabina Shoal.

"These dangerous manoeuvres resulted in collisions, causing structural damage to both PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) vessels," Jonathan Malaya, a spokesperson for the national security council and Manila's South China Sea task force, was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. 

When the at-sea confrontation took place near Sabina Shoal, the Philippines emphasised that the coast guard vessels Cape Engano and Bagacay were en route to resupply personnel stationed in Flat Island, which Manila calls Patag and Lawak Island and which China calls Nanshan. 

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A collision occurred between Cape Engano and a Chinese coast guard ship at around 3:24 am on Monday, Manila said. Around 16 minutes later, the Philippine coast guard ship Bagacay "was rammed twice" by a Chinese coast guard vessel, which resulted in "minor structural damage", it further added.

Earlier in June this year, the Chinese coast guard personnel aboard more than eight motorboats aggressively rammed two Philippine Navy inflatable boats at a disputed shoal. According to media reports, Chinese troops boarded the vessels, wielding machetes, knives, and axes, causing significant damage to the Filipino vehicles amid heightened tensions between the two countries.