Philippine Vessel Reports Collision with Chinese Ship in South China Sea
A Chinese coast guard vessel “deliberately rammed” a Philippine government boat near Thitu Island in the disputed South China Sea on Sunday, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. The incident, which occurred at 9:15 a.m.local time, involved the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, a vessel belonging to Manila’s fisheries bureau, and resulted in minor structural damage. No injuries to the crew where reported.
Confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels are frequent in the South China Sea,a region where Beijing asserts expansive territorial claims despite a 2016 international ruling rejecting those claims. The latest incident escalates tensions between the two nations and underscores the ongoing struggle for control of vital shipping lanes and resource-rich waters. The Philippines maintains its commitment to defending its sovereign rights despite what it calls “bullying tactics and aggressive actions” by China.
The Philippine Coast Guard stated that,following the initial use of a water cannon by the Chinese vessel,it “deliberately rammed the stern” of the BRP Datu pagbuaya three minutes later. Beijing,however,has blamed the Philippines for the collision,alleging the Philippine ship “ignored repeated stern warnings” and approached the Chinese vessel dangerously.
Thitu Island is part of the Spratly island group, a key area in the broader South China Sea dispute where China has been actively seeking to assert its sovereignty for years. The incident is likely to further complicate diplomatic efforts to manage the competing claims in the region.
