Chinese, Philippine ships collide in South China Sea

[ad_1] Ships collided and water cannons allegedly brought about injury and accidents throughout a skirmish between Chinese language and Philippine vessels within the disputed South China Sea on Tuesday.

The Philippine Coast Guard mentioned that two Chinese language ships used water cannons whereas pursuing the BRP Datu Gumbay Piang, a fisheries vessel, because it delivered meals to Filipino fisherman close to the Scarborough Shoal, a triangular set of rocks and reefs that each nations declare.

“This aggressive motion lasted for about 29 minutes, leading to vital injury, together with shattered glass from the aft window of the bridge,” mentioned Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson. A crew member was injured by the shattered glass, Tarriela mentioned.

China’s Coast Guard fired water cannons after the Philippine ship had “disregarded solemn warnings from the Chinese language aspect and intentionally rammed a Chinese language coast guard vessel,” Chinese language coast guard spokesperson Gan Yu mentioned.

Yu mentioned the encounter on Tuesday concerned greater than 10 Philippine ships; the Philippines mentioned 9 Chinese language ships had been concerned. Each side have launched video displaying a Chinese language ship and a Philippines ship colliding.

The Scarborough Shoal sits inside the Philippines’ United Nations-defined unique financial zone. China claims a lot of the South China Sea as a part of its historic maritime territory regardless of a 2016 ruling from a global arbitration court docket denying that declare.

Tuesday’s incident got here practically every week after China introduced it might create a nature reserve on the Scarborough Shoal. Philippine officers condemned that plan, calling it a “clear pretext for occupation.”