The incidents took place near the Spratly Islands, 25 kilometers from Second Thomas Atoll, where the Philippine Navy has a foothold and where the Chinese regime is sending ships to stake its claims over virtually all of the region’s seas, known like the South Seas. from China or South China.

“The dangerous maneuvers of the Chinese Coast Guard Ship 5203 caused it to collide with a supply boat contracted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” a government task force in Manila said.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a source, said the “minor collision” occurred after the tanker “ignored several warnings and deliberately bypassed security forces in an unprofessional and dangerous manner.”

In another incident, a Philippine Coast Guard boat escorting the resupply mission was “hit” by what the task force described as a “Chinese Maritime Militia vessel.” The Chinese government accused the Philippine boat of “deliberately” causing a collision by “premeditatedly” retreating towards a Chinese fishing vessel.

A video released by the Philippine Armed Forces shows the moment the bow of the Chinese Coast Guard ship briefly touches the stern of the tanker boat. The Philippine ship continues its journey and the images do not show whether the incident has caused damage to the hull. The Chinese government stated that “responsibility for Sunday’s incidents lies solely” with Manila.

Supply missions

Second Thomas Atoll is part of the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. It is located almost 200 kilometers from the Philippine island of Palawan, west of the archipelago, and more than a thousand kilometers from the Chinese island of Hainan. The Philippine Navy deliberately ran the warship aground Sierra Madre, from the World War II era, on the sandbar in 1999 to try to stop China’s advance into these waters. The Philippine troops deployed in this garrison depend on regular deliveries of supplies for their survival.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, despite claims by other countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, without regard to a 2016 international decision against Beijing.

In turn, the Philippines, an ally of the United States, has outposts on nine reefs and islands in the Spratly Islands archipelago, where the atoll is located. U.S. Ambassador to Manila Mary Kay Carlson said her country “condemns China’s latest disruption of a lawful Philippine supply mission, which has endangered the lives of members of the Philippine Armed Forces.”

Tensions between the Philippines and China rose in August when Chinese coast guard ships used water cannon against a Philippine supply mission to the reef, preventing a ship from delivering cargo.