Chinese Ships Crash In Chase With Filipino Patrol Boat In The South China Sea

A Chinese warship collapsed into one of its ain country’s seashore defender vessels arsenic it chased a patrol vessel belonging to the Philippines, officials successful Manila said Monday, aft nan latest territorial dispute successful the South China Sea.

The melodramatic collision adjacent the Scarborough Shoal, a contested island, came arsenic nan Filipino alloy was delivering substance and supplies to much than 30 sportfishing boats, nan country’s seashore defender said successful a connection Monday.

Several videos posted connected X by Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for nan Philippines Coast Guard, showed nan Chinese ships connected both sides of their seashore defender vessel, walking astatine rather a pace. In 1 of nan videos, nan warship base nan number 164, came very adjacent to nan Filipino ship’s larboard side.

Another video showed nan Chinese seashore defender vessel base nan number 3104, appears to beryllium base down connected nan backmost of nan Filipino boat, erstwhile nan warship appears from nan near of changeable successful front.

Although nan Chinese seashore defender attempts to turn, it appears to smash into larboard broadside of its ain country’s warship arsenic nan Filipino vessel sails away.

It is unclear from nan footage really overmuch harm was done aliases if anyone was injured connected nan Chinese ships.

Handout video released connected Monday by nan Philippine Coast Guard connected Monday shows an incident betwixt a Chinese Navy alloy (L) and a Chinese Coast Guard ship. It was filmed from a Filipino Coast Guard vessel adjacent nan Scarborough Shoal nan disputed South China Sea.Philippine Coast Guard Handout / AFP via Getty Images

The Chinese Coast Guard acknowledged nan confrontation pinch nan Philippines successful a connection Monday, but did not reference immoderate collusion.

Instead, it accused nan Philippines of “intruding into waters” nether nan “pretext” of supplies, adjacent nan land which it called China’s “inherent territory.” It said it had acted successful a “professional, regulated and lawful” manner.

The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said successful its connection that it was “seriously concerned” by China’s “dangerous maneuvers.”

The collision demonstrated nan “importance of adhering to world maritime rules,” it said, adding that nan unit of nan patrols vessel had “without hesitation offered aesculapian assistance and different applicable support to nan Chinese side.”

It is unclear whether this connection was accepted.

Beijing claims sovereignty successful over 80% of nan South China Sea, energy-rich waters pinch estimated 190 trillion cubic feet of earthy state and 11 cardinal barrels of lipid beneath them.

In nan past decade, China has been been actively building artificial islands in nan region and added subject bases, ports, and airstrips, drafting disapproval from nan Philippines and Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, who besides laic declare to parts of nan South China Sea.

In 2016, an world tribunal ruled overwhelmingly successful favour of nan Philippines, declaring that galore of China’s claims and actions successful nan South China Sea violated world rule and authorities of nan Philippines.

But location person been several maritime clashes since then, including an incident successful December erstwhile Chinese ships fired h2o canons and rammed a Philippine patrol vessel adjacent Scarborough Shoal.