Manila accused a China Coast Guard vessel of colliding with a Philippine resupply vessel in the disputed South China Sea on Sunday, strongly condemning the actions as ¡°dangerous, irresponsible and illegal,¡± in the latest close encounter in the flash point waterway.
The incident occurred near the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Island chain, as the resupply vessel made its way toward a Philippine garrison that sits atop a World War II-era warship purposefully grounded in the area, which is also claimed by Beijing.
In a statement, the Philippine government task force overseeing the South China Sea issue said the ¡°dangerous blocking maneuvers of China Coast Guard vessel 5203 caused it to collide with the Armed Forces of the Philippines-contracted indigenous resupply boat¡± about 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Second Thomas Shoal.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.