This body seize from handout video footage taken and launched on August 25, 2024 by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reveals a Chinese language coast Guard ship (L) utilizing water cannon towards the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Sources (BFAR) vessel BRP Datu Sanday, close to Sabina Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea. – China’s coast guard mentioned it rescued Filipino “personnel” who fell overboard August 25 after a Philippine vessel collided with one among its ships close to a disputed shoal within the South China Sea, whereas the Philippine authorities accused Chinese language vessels of ramming and utilizing water cannon towards its ship. (Photograph by Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) / AFP) /
BEIJING, China — China’s coast guard mentioned it rescued Filipino “personnel” who fell overboard Sunday after a Philippine vessel collided with one among its ships close to a disputed shoal within the South China Sea.
The Philippines slammed China’s claims as “utterly unfounded.”
The 2 nations have had repeated confrontations within the waters in current months, and on Saturday Manila accused China of just lately twice firing flares at one among its patrol plane.
China has continued to press its claims to nearly the complete sea and has ignored a global tribunal ruling that its assertions haven’t any authorized foundation.
Beijing accused the Philippine vessel of “intentionally” colliding with a Chinese language Coast Guard ship.
It mentioned the collision passed off close to the disputed Sabina Shoal, 140 kilometers (86 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,200 kilometers from Hainan island, the closest Chinese language landmass.
China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu mentioned the collision occurred when a Philippine vessel refused to adjust to “management measures” after making an attempt to ship provides to a different vessel “illegally stationed” close to Xianbin Reef within the Nansha Islands — utilizing the Chinese language names for the Sabina Shoal and the Spratly Islands additionally claimed by Manila.
“China warns the Philippines to right away stop its infringing actions, in any other case the Philippines will bear all penalties ensuing from this case,” Gan mentioned.
The Philippines mentioned that its ships encountered “aggressive and harmful maneuvers” from the Chinese language facet after they have been on a humanitarian mission to resupply Filipino fishermen with diesel, meals, and medical objects.
The Chinese language vessels “made shut perilous maneuvers that resulted in ramming, blasted horns, and deployed water cannons”, resulting in an early termination of the resupply operation after their ship skilled engine failure, an announcement from Manila’s Nationwide Activity Power on the West Philippine Sea mentioned.
“These unprofessional, aggressive, and unlawful actions posed critical dangers to the protection of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they have been meant to serve,” the assertion mentioned, including that nobody was harmed.
Footage launched by the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed a Chinese language ship approaching and ramming the left facet of its vessel.
One other clip confirmed a Chinese language vessel touring parallel to the Philippine ship, simply meters away.
Recurring clashes
On Saturday the Philippines accused China of firing flares at one among its plane earlier this month because it patrolled the South China Sea.
On Monday each nations additionally reported a collision between their coast guard ships close to Sabina Shoal.
Manila had mentioned that was the primary hostile motion by Beijing towards it close to Sabina, the place each side have stationed coast guard vessels in current months and the place the Philippines fears China is about to construct a man-made island.
China deploys boats to patrol the busy South China Sea and has constructed synthetic islands that it has militarised to bolster its claims.
In June, Chinese language coast guard sailors brandished weapons together with knives and an axe as they boarded Philippine naval vessels close to the strategic reef.
The Philippine army mentioned one among its sailors misplaced a thumb within the confrontation during which Beijing’s coast guard additionally confiscated or destroyed Philippine tools together with weapons.
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Beijing blamed the escalation on Manila and maintains its actions to guard its claims are authorized and proportional.
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