Beijing on Saturday accused a Philippine ship of deliberately ramming a Chinese coast guard vessel near a flashpoint shoal in the South China Sea, the latest in a series of such incidents in recent weeks.
China claims almost the entire economically vital waterway, while other countries contest its claims and an international court has ruled that its claim has no legal basis.
A Chinese coast guard spokesman said Saturday’s incident occurred near the disputed Sabina Shoal, which has emerged as a new flashpoint in a long-running maritime confrontation between Manila and Beijing.
Shortly after noon (0400 GMT), a Philippine ship “intentionally” collided with a Chinese vessel, known as xianbin in Chinese, off the coast, spokesman Liu Dejun said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“China exercises indisputable sovereignty in the region,” Liu said.
Liu condemned the “unprofessional and dangerous” conduct of the Philippine ship.
Sabina Shoal is located 140 kilometres (86 mi) west of the Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,200 kilometres from Hainan Island, the nearest major Chinese landmass.
There have been at least two collisions between Philippine and Chinese vessels near Sabina this month, which analysts say is a sign that Beijing is seeking to further encroach on the region, penetrate deeper into Manila’s exclusive economic zone and normalise Chinese control over the area.
The discovery of piles of crushed coral on the seashore this year raised suspicions in Manila that Beijing was planning to build a more permanent base there, which would be its closest outpost to the Philippine archipelago.
There have also been recent clashes between Philippine and Chinese ships around Second Thomas Shoal.
A Filipino sailor lost his thumb in a clash in June when Chinese coast guard members attacked with knives, sticks and axes and thwarted a Filipino navy attempt to resupply a small military base.
Sabina Shoal is also the rendezvous point for Philippine resupply missions to the garrison located on Second Thomas Shoal.
The repeated clashes led Manila to label Beijing the “biggest disruptor” to peace in Southeast Asia at a defence conference this month.
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