A new incident between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea

A Philippine boat on a resupply mission was rammed by a Chinese Coast Guard ship on Sunday (Dec 10), the Philippine Coast Guard said, a day after another standoff in the hotly contested South China Sea.

For its part, Beijing accused the Philippine ship of this “Intentionally collided” With a Chinese Coast Guard ship.

On Sunday morning, four Filipino ships “Entered illegally” The Chinese Coast Guard announced in a statement that a Philippine ship sank in the waters of the Spratly Islands, which China claims. “He did not respond to our multiple and severe warnings (…) “It suddenly changed direction in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, and intentionally collided with a Coast Guard ship.”.

A long history of maritime disputes

The incident, which occurred near Second Thomas, an atoll in the Spratly Islands, comes a day after another confrontation with the Chinese coast guard, which… “”disability”” Using water cannons, three Philippine government boats resupplyed fishermen near Scarborough Shoal, a Beijing-controlled reef off the Philippine island of Luzon, causing… “Severe engine damage” Guy Tarriela, a spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Coast Guard, said from one of the boats.

Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime disputes in the South China Sea, through which billions of dollars’ worth of goods pass every year. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including waters and islands near the coasts of its neighbors, and has ignored a 2016 international court ruling that the claim has no legal basis.

The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim many coral reefs and islets in this sea, some areas of which could contain rich oil reserves.