The Chinese language and Philippine Coast Guards traded blame over the newest collisions involving their vessels within the disputed South China Sea on Saturday.
The Chinese language Coast Guard (CCG) stated a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship had “intentionally collided” with one in every of its vessels close to the disputed Sabina Shoal, in response to state broadcaster CCTV.
“At 12:06, the Philippine ship No. 9701 intentionally collided with the Chinese language ship No. 5205, which was usually implementing rights and legislation enforcement, in an unprofessional and harmful method, leading to a collision. The accountability lies totally with the Philippines,” CCG spokesman Liu Dejun stated on Saturday.
PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela stated the Chinese language facet had “intentionally rammed” a Philippines vessel.
“This afternoon, the Chinese language Coast Guard vessel intentionally rammed and collided with the BRP Teresa Magbanua 3 times, regardless of no provocation from the Philippine Coast Guard,” he wrote in a submit on X.
The duelling accounts come as Chinese language and Philippine vessels have engaged in a number of collisions and face-offs over the previous week close to Sabina Shoal, also referred to as Xianbin Reef.
The disputed atoll lies simply 138km from the Philippines’ west coast and 1198km from China.
A spokesperson for the US State Division stated it condemned China for “intentionally colliding 3 times” with the Philippine vessel.
“On a number of events all through August 2024, (China) has aggressively disrupted lawful Philippine aerial and maritime operations within the South China Sea, together with at Sabina Shoal,” stated the spokesperson Matthew Miller stated.
Miller added that the US referred to as on China to adjust to worldwide legislation and “desist from harmful and destabilizing conduct.”
China claims virtually all the South China Sea as its sovereign territory regardless of a world ruling on the contrary.
The escalation in tensions comes simply weeks after Beijing and Manila struck a brief deal to decrease tensions that had been rising all summer time at one other close by reef, the place China’s more and more aggressive techniques had raised alarm throughout the area in addition to in Washington, a mutual defence ally of the Philippines.
