A handout photo made available by the Philippine Coast Guard-National Task Force West Philippine Sea shows Chinese vessels moored at Whitsun Reef in the disputed South China Sea on March 7, 2021. File Photo courtesy of the Philippine Coast Guard-National Task Force/EPA-EFE
Oct. 22 (UPI) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines alleges that China Coast Guard vessels collided with one of its ships and a supply boat Sunday morning.
The armed forces said in a statement the collisions occurred in the South China Sea when the Chinese vessels engaged in “dangerous blocking maneuvers.” The Philippine ships were en route to the Second Thomas Shoal where the Philippines has an outpost as part of a resupply mission.
“The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea condemns in the strongest degree the latest dangerous, irresponsible, and illegal actions of the CCG and the Chinese Maritime Militia done this morning,” the Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines shared videos of the incidents on social media Sunday.
CCTV, China’s state-owned news agency, reported that the Philippine ship ignored multiple warnings, alleging that it was trespassing and “deliberately provoked trouble.”
“The Philippines’ actions seriously violated the international rules for avoiding collisions at sea and threatened the navigation safety of our ships,” the CCTV writes. “Our operations were professional, standardized, legitimate and legal, and the responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines.”
The Second Thomas Shoal is a submerged reef located in the Spratly Islands. The islands are a disputed land that Beijing and the Philippines lay claim to.
Nobody was injured in either incident and the extent of the damage is being investigated.
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