The Philippines strongly condemned China's navy for a 'dangerous' maneuver in the South China Sea, near Second Thomas Shoal, when two ships nears collided.
The Philippines issued a statement on Friday strongly condemning China after a Chinese coast guard ship came within 3 feet of colliding with a Philippine patrol ship in the South China Sea, amid territorial disputes in the Pacific. 'We condemn the behavior of the Chinese coast guard vessel. They have been violating international law, particularly the collision regulations,' Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said at a briefing Friday.
Tarriela said the near-collision was 'the closest dangerous maneuver' by any Chinese coast guard ship against a Philippine patrol ship. It was witnessed by several journalists, including from The Associated Press, who were invited by the Philippine coast guard to join the voyage as part of a strategy aimed at exposing Chinese aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
Wednesday's hostilities began at dawn when a Chinese coast guard ship closely tailed the Philippine vessels enroute to Second Thomas Shoal and later formed a blockade including militia ships and at least one navy warship. Two smaller supply boats being escorted by the Philippine coast guard in the contested waters managed to breach the Chinese blockade and delivered food and other supplies to a Filipino marine outpost at the shoal.
The flare-up was the latest in long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest trade routes. The conflict has involved China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei, and has become a flashpoint in the U.S.-China regional rivalry. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Philippines protests after a Chinese coast guard ship nearly collides with a Philippine vesselA Chinese coast guard ship came within a meter (3 feet) of colliding with a Philippine patrol ship it was trying to block in the South China Sea, in an alarming incident that intensified fears that territorial disputes in the waters could spark a larger crisis
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Philippines protests after a Chinese coast guard ship nearly collides with a Philippine vesselA Chinese coast guard ship came within a meter (3 feet) of colliding with a Philippine patrol ship it was trying to block in the South China Sea, in an alarming incident that intensified fears that territorial disputes in the waters could spark a larger crisis. The Philippines on Friday strongly condemned the Chinese ship’s maneuvers near Second Thomas Shoal, which the Asian neighbors both claim and has been the scene of frequent confrontations. One other Philippine coast guard vessel was blocked by Chinese coast guard and militia ships in the incident, which dragged on for about eight hours. A major clash in the disputed waters could potentially involve the United States, which has vowed to defend the Philippines if its forces, ships and aircraft come under armed attack.
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Philippines protests after a Chinese coast guard ship nearly collides with a Philippine vesselA Chinese coast guard ship came within a meter (3 feet) of colliding with a Philippine patrol ship it was trying to block in the South China Sea, in an alarming incident that intensified fears that territorial disputes in the waters could spark a larger crisis.
Read more »
Philippines protests after a Chinese coast guard ship nearly collides with a Philippine vesselA Chinese coast guard ship came within a meter (3 feet) of colliding with a Philippine patrol ship it was trying to block in the South China Sea, in an alarming incident that intensified fears that territorial disputes in the waters could spark a larger crisis.
Read more »
Philippines Protests after a Chinese Coast Guard Ship Nearly Collides with a Philippine VesselA Chinese coast guard ship came within a meter (3 feet) of colliding with a Philippine patrol ship it was trying to block in the South China Sea, in an alarming incident that intensified fears that territorial disputes in the waters could spark a larger crisis.The...
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Philippines protests after a Chinese ship nearly collides with a Philippine vesselA Chinese coast guard ship came within a meter (3 feet) of colliding with a Philippine patrol ship it was trying to block in the South China Sea, in an alarming incident that intensified fears that territorial disputes in the waters could spark a large...
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