Baghdad-INA
China and the Philippines have exchanged accusations of deliberately colliding two of their coast guard ships near a disputed reef area in the South China Sea, following a series of similar incidents in the region .
For more news, subscribe to our channel on Telegram
China claims sovereignty over most of the waterway, which is vital to the economy, despite similar claims from neighboring countries and an international court decision issued in 2016 rejecting Beijing’s claims.
A Chinese Coast Guard spokesman said Saturday’s incident occurred off the Sabina Cole reefs, becoming a new point of tension in the ongoing maritime standoff between Manila and Beijing.
These reefs are located 140 kilometers from the coast of the Philippines and 1,200 kilometers from the Chinese island of Hainan.
China’s official CCTV channel said Coast Guard spokesman Liu Dejun had said shortly after noon (4:00 GMT) that a Filipino ship “deliberately” collided with a Chinese ship near the coral reef known as Xianbin in China.
He added that “China is exercising unquestionable sovereignty” in this region, denouncing the “unprofessional and dangerous” behavior of the Philippine ship.
However, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarella said the Chinese Coast Guard ship No. 5205 the one that “directly and deliberately rammed” the 97-meter long Philippine ship Teresa Magbanua.
The ship has been anchored in the Sabina area since April to emphasize the Philippines’ claim to sovereignty over the region.
Tarella also said the collision occurred three times and affected three parts of the ship, causing some damage.
No staff members were injured in the incident. A hole was found in the ship.
“It is important to know that this collision occurred despite… our unprovoked behavior and our presence on the Escoda Shoal reef,” Tarriela told reporters, using the Filipino name for Sabina Shoal.
2024-09-03 05:03:33