Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships collided at sea, damaging at least two vessels, in an encounter early yesterday near a new flash point in their increasingly alarming confrontations in the disputed South China Sea.
Each blamed the other for the collision near Sabina Shoal (Xianbin, 仙濱暗沙), a disputed atoll in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), where Taiwan and Vietnam also have overlapping claims.
There were no reports of injuries.
Photo: AFP / PCG
China’s coast guard accused the Philippines of deliberately crashing one of its ships into a Chinese vessel.
It said in a statement on its Web site that two Philippine Coast Guard ships entered waters near the shoal, ignored a warning from the Chinese coast guard and intentionally collided with one of the Chinese boats at 3:24am.
“The Philippine side is entirely responsible for the collision,” China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu (甘羽) said. “We warn the Philippine side to immediately stop its infringement and provocation, otherwise it will bear all the consequences arising from that.”
Photo: AFP / PCG
Philippine National Security Council Assistant Director-General Jonathan Malaya accused the Chinese coast guard of falsely saying the Philippine coast guard ships had rammed its vessels.
Video and photographs, including ones taken by journalists from a US television station who were on board one of the Philippine coast guard ships, showed that the Chinese ships caused the collisions, Malaya told a news forum in Manila.
The Philippines’ National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea said two of the coast guard ships, BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engano, “encountered unlawful and aggressive maneuvers” from Chinese coast guard vessels while en route to Patag and Lawak islands, which are occupied by Filipino forces, in the contested region.
“These dangerous maneuvers resulted in collisions, causing structural damage to both Philippine Coast Guard vessels,” the statement said.
The Philippine coast guard said one of the Chinese ships rammed the BRP Cape Engano, ripping a 1.1m hole on the right side.
An engine exhaust was also damaged, it said.
About 16 minutes later, BRP Bagacay was rammed twice on its left and right sides by another Chinese vessel, leaving a hole 91cm wide and 76cm long, and a dent that was 30.5cm deep, the Philippine coast guard said.
“This is the biggest structural damage we have incurred as a result of the dangerous maneuvers carried out by the Chinese coast guard,” Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said at the news forum.
The task force said the Philippine coast guard “stands firm in its responsibility to ensure the safety and security of our maritime domain while addressing any threats to our national interests.”
In a separate statement, Gan said a Philippine ship that was turned away from Sabina Shoal entered waters near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙), ignoring the Chinese coast guard’s warnings.
“The Chinese coast guard took control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with law and regulation,” he added.
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