– Beijing denounces collision between Chinese and Philippine ships
The Chinese coast guard says a Philippine ship collided with a Chinese vessel on Monday near the disputed Spratly Islands.
Published today at 4:13 a.m.
Beijing deploys coast guard and other vessels to patrol the South China Sea. (Pretext image)
AFP
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A Philippine ship collided with a Chinese boat on Monday in the South China Sea, near the Spratly Islands disputed by the two countries, the Chinese coast guard said.
“The Philippine supply ship ignored numerous warnings from the Chinese side” and “approached the Chinese vessel (…) in an unprofessional manner, causing a collision,” the coast guard said in a statement.
Beijing accused the boat of having “illegally entered the waters near the Ren’ai Reef”, the Chinese name for the Second Thomas Atoll located in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands for Beijing).
Oil reserves
“The Chinese Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine vessel in accordance with law,” the statement added. Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including waters and islands near the coasts of several of its neighbors, despite an international court ruling in 2016.
The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim several reefs and islets in this sea, some areas of which could contain rich oil reserves. Beijing deploys coast guard and other vessels to patrol the South China Sea and has turned reefs into military positions.
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