A collision took place on Sunday, October 22, between a Chinese coast guard ship and a Philippine supply boat, near a small contested garrison in the South China Sea.
The Philippines denounces “dangerous, irresponsible and illegal actions”. “Chinese Coast Guard Vessel 5203’s dangerous blocking maneuvers caused it to collide with the supply boat (…) under contract with the Armed Forces of the Philippines » in the Spratlys, about 25 kilometers from Second Thomas Shoal Atoll, where the Philippine Navy is stationed, a government task force said.
China presented the action of its coast guardand “professional” And ” legitimate “ and accused the Philippines of having “deliberately” caused the collision. The Filipino boat “ignored multiple warnings” Chinese coast guard and “deliberately caused trouble” before the collision, the Chinese foreign ministry criticized the Chinese foreign ministry in a statement, quoted by state television CCTV.
Sovereignty in the Spratly archipelago at stake
The two nations, along with Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, dispute sovereignty over several islets and reefs in the Spratly archipelago. Beijing claims all of it, and all local residents control part of it.
Last month, the Philippines accused the Chinese coast guard of firing water cannons against Philippine ships carrying equipment for its military personnel deployed to the Manila-controlled Second Thomas Shoal Atoll.
In 1999, the Philippines deliberately ran aground a military boat, the BRP Sierra Madre, on the atoll, with the aim of making it an outpost and asserting their claims to sovereignty against China. The ship has since been a source of tension between Beijing and Manila. The Philippine Marines on board depend on resupply missions to survive.