Philippine and Chinese Vessels Experienced a Maritime Incident.
On Monday, Philippine ships suffered significant damage in pre-dawn collisions with Chinese vessels near a disputed reef, according to Manila’s coast guard. This incident occurs as Beijing intensifies its efforts to assert its claims in the South China Sea.
Recent months have seen repeated confrontations between China and the Philippines in these waters. Tensions have particularly escalated around a warship that Manila deliberately grounded years ago on the contentious Second Thomas Shoal, which is home to a garrison.
Despite an international tribunal ruling that dismissed China’s claims as having no legal foundation, Beijing continues to assert its dominance over nearly the entire South China Sea.
On the same Monday, both nations reported that their coast guard ships had collided near the contested Sabina Shoal. This area is situated 140 kilometers (86 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan and approximately 1,200 kilometers from Hainan island, the nearest Chinese landmass.
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Manila characterized this incident as the first aggressive action by Beijing in the vicinity of Sabina. In recent months, both countries have stationed coast guard vessels in the area, where the Philippines fears that China may be planning to construct an artificial island.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for the Philippine coast guard, stated that during the initial collision, a Chinese vessel created a sizable hole in the hull of the Philippine ship BRP Bagacay. He noted that a subsequent collision further dented the ship and damaged its railings.
In another incident, a second Filipino vessel, the BRP Engano, sustained a 1.1-meter (3.6-foot) hole on its right side, along with damage to its engine exhaust, according to Tarriela.
Manila also shared images that Tarriela claimed depicted the extensive damage incurred by the vessels involved in the collisions.
In response, China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu accused the Philippine ships of behaving “in an unprofessional and dangerous manner,” which he said led to a glancing collision.
He asserted that the China Coast Guard acted within the law when implementing control measures against the Philippine vessels.
