MANILA: The Philippines accused a Chinese coastguard vessel of colliding on Sunday with a Philippine resupply boat as it travelled to a tiny garrison in the disputed South China Sea.
A government task force said in a statement that the “dangerous blocking manoeuvres of China Coast Guard vessel 5203 caused it to collide with the Armed Forces of the Philippines-contracted indigenous resupply boat” about 25km from Second Thomas Shoal.
In another incident, a Philippine coastguard vessel escorting the resupply mission was “bumped” by what the task force described as a “Chinese Maritime Militia vessel”.
“The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea condemns in the strongest degree the latest dangerous, irresponsible, and illegal actions of the CCG and the Chinese Maritime Militia done this morning,” the task force said.