On Sunday, October 22, a collision between a Chinese Coast Guard vessel and a Philippine supply boat occurred near a small embattled garrison in the South China Sea.
The Philippines denounces “dangerous, irresponsible and illegal actions.” “The dangerous blocking maneuvers of the Chinese coast guard vessel 5203 caused it to collide with the supply boat (…) assigned to the Armed Forces of the Philippines” in the Spratlys, about 25 kilometers from the Second Thomas Shoal atoll, where the Philippine Navy was located was stationed, a government task force said.
China portrayed its coast guard’s actions as “professional” and “legitimate” and accused the Philippines of “intentionally” causing the collision. The Philippine boat “ignored multiple warnings” from the Chinese coast guard and “deliberately caused trouble” before the collision, the Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized in a statement quoted by state television CCTV.
Sovereignty in the Spratly Archipelago is at stake
The two nations, along with Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, dispute sovereignty over several islands and reefs in the Spratly archipelago. Beijing claims the whole thing, and all local residents control part of it.
Last month, the Philippines accused the Chinese coast guard of firing water cannons against Filipino ships carrying equipment for its military personnel stationed in the Manila-controlled Second Thomas Shoal Atoll.
In 1999, the Philippines deliberately ran a military boat, the BRP Sierra Madre, aground on the atoll with the aim of turning it into an outpost and asserting its sovereignty claims against China. Since then, the ship has caused tensions between Beijing and Manila. The Filipino Marines on board rely on resupply missions to survive.
Also read: Article reserved for our subscribers. Beijing continues to militarize the islands of the South China Sea