The Philippines announced that a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided with one of its Ministry of Fisheries vessels on Friday morning in disputed waters of the South China Sea. This incident occurred near a coral reef in the Spratly Islands chain, which is known as a hotspot for fishing resources.
Details of the Incident
The Philippine Coast Guard stated that the Chinese ship named CCG-21585 directly collided with the BRP Datu Magat Salamat, which was on a maritime patrol to provide fuel subsidies to local fishermen. Philippine Coast Guard representative, Jay Trilla, said: "At 11:04 AM, the Chinese ship passed just about 10 meters from our vessel."
Read more: Tehran–Karaj Job Market: Haj Reza Fardous and the 'Employment Instead of Charity' Model
Nine minutes later, the Chinese ship repeated the same maneuver and this time made contact with the Philippine vessel. A video released by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the Chinese ship close to our boat, and one crew member shouts "collision," although no visible damage from the impact is apparent.
Reactions and Consequences
Jiang Lu, spokesperson for the Chinese Coast Guard, accused the Philippine vessel of "ignoring repeated warnings" and "deliberately changing course." He also stated that the actions of the Philippines severely violated international laws and threatened the safety of Chinese Coast Guard ships and their personnel. He warned that the Philippines must immediately cease all aggressive and provocative actions, or it will face consequences.
This incident has sparked new tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea. The two countries resumed their conflicts in the region last July after a brief period of calm. Meanwhile, the Philippines has been hosting an ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting, which has drawn more attention to this issue.
Read more: The UAE and Iran Meeting Paves the Way for the Future · U.S. Space Forces Announce Deployment of Weapons in Space
