According to information from Beijing, a Chinese and a Philippine ship collided in the South China Sea.
As the Chinese coast guard announced on Monday, the Philippine supply ship ignored the “numerous requests from the Chinese side” and approached in an “unprofessional manner”. This led to a collision in the area of the Spratly Islands.
According to the coast guard, the Philippine ship had “illegally” entered the waters off the Second Thomas Reef. “The Chinese coast guard has taken control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with the law,” the statement continued.
China claims practically the entire South China Sea for itself. However, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also lay claim to parts of the sea area. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague declared some of the Chinese claims unlawful in 2016. However, Beijing does not recognize the ruling.
Beijing is using its coast guard boats, among others, to patrol the area, where there are repeated clashes between ships from China and the Philippines.
