BEIJING, China: The Chinese Coast Guard said that on Monday, a ship from the Philippines and a ship from China collided close to the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.
The Second Thomas Shoal, sometimes referred to as the Ren’ai Reef in Chinese, has a Philippine military garrison stationed on the Sierra Madre, a grounded navy vessel, as part of Manila’s claims to the disputed waters.
This area has witnessed numerous confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships, especially during Philippine efforts to supply the garrison.
In a statement on Monday, the Chinese coast guard accused a Philippine resupply ship of “ignoring many solemn warnings from the Chinese side” and approaching the Chinese vessel in an “unprofessional way,” resulting in a collision.
Beijing declared that the Chinese Coast Guard had taken “control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with the law” and accused the Philippine ship of “illegally breaking into the sea near Ren’ai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands.”
China has turned many reefs into fortified artificial islands and has sent coast guard and other boats to patrol the waterways.
This month, Manila accused Chinese boats of illegally seizing food and medicine airdropped to the Philippine outpost at the Second Thomas Shoal.
In response, China insisted that the Sierra Madre was illegally grounded on the reef and urged the Philippines to “stop making trouble.”
On Saturday, new Chinese coast guard rules took effect, allowing it to detain foreigners for alleged trespassing in the disputed sea. Manila has accused the Chinese coast guard of “barbaric and inhumane behavior” against Philippine vessels, with President Ferdinand Marcos calling the new rules a “very worrisome” escalation. China has defended these new rules, with a foreign ministry spokesman stating last month that they were intended to “better uphold order at sea.”
Chinese Coast Guard vessels have previously used water cannon against Philippine boats multiple times in the contested waters.
These confrontations have raised fears of a broader conflict over the sea that could involve the United States and other allies.
Trillions of dollars in ship-borne trade pass through the South China Sea annually, and significant unexploited oil and gas deposits are believed to lie under its seabed, though estimates vary greatly.
