China And The Philippines Accuse Each Other Of Collision Of Coast Guard Ships In The South China Sea

China's coast guard ship fired water cannons at the Philippine ship. (Twitter/@jaytaryela)

JAKARTA - The Philippines and China have again accused each other of disputes in the South China Sea, when coast guard ships of the two countries collided in the region, increasing tensions in regional claims.

The Philippine coast guard accused China of firing water cannons and crashing into supply ships and coast guard vessels, causing "serious engine damage" to one of the ships, while Chinese coast guard said the Philippine ship accidentally crashed into its ship.

On Saturday, the Philippines accused China of "illegal and aggressive acts", firing water cannons at civilian-operated government fishing vessels, an act Beijing calls a legitimate "control measure".

In Sunday's incident, Chinese coast guard said in a statement two Philippine ships ignored repeated warnings, "illegally entering waters adjacent to Karang Ren\"ai Reefs in the Nansha Islands without permission from the Chinese government".

It said Unaizah Mae 1 " suddenly turned unprofessionally and dangerous, deliberately crashing into the Chinese Coast Guard 21556." They say the Philippines bears full responsibility.

Statement of the National Task Force-West Philippine SeaDecember 10, 2023, Manila, PhilippinesToday, 10 December 2023, China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) vessels harassed, blocked, and executed dangerous maneuvers on Philippine civilian supply vessels,… pic.twitter.com/NF66BqVPUM

— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) December 10, 2023

Statement of the National Task Force-West Philippine SeaDecember 10, 2023, Manila, PhilippinesToday, December 10, 2023, China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) deployed, blocked, and executed dangerous maneuvers on Philippine civilian supply vehicles,... pic.twitter.com/NF66BqVPUM

Chinese Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu asked the Philippines to stop "provocative actions", saying China would continue to carry out "law enforcement activities" in its waters.

On the other hand, Philippine coast guard spokesman Jay Tarriela posted on social media platform X, "M/L Kalayaan suffered serious engine damage. Contrary to Chinese Coast Guard disinformation, UM1 was hit by a CCG ship."

The Philippine government task force condemned China's "new unwarranted acts of coercion and maneuver against legal and routine supply missions". China's actions "questioned and cast doubt on the sincerity of their calls for peaceful dialogue", he said in a statement.

The West Philippine Sea National Task Force said a coast guard ship was pulling Kalayaan back to Palawan Province. Meanwhile, the coast guard ship BRP Cabra "went damage to its post after being directly targeted by a fully-powered water cannon".

It is known, the latest incident occurred in a site that has long been disputed by the two countries, Second Thomas Shoal which is uninhabited in the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone. It is called Beting Ayungin in Philippine and Ren'ai Jiao in Chinese, part of the Spratly Islands.

Manila placed her military on an old warship that was deliberately ran aground in the region in 1999, to protect maritime claims there. Routine supply missions are sent to provide logistical support and military needs there.