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A Chinese warship rammed into a vessel of its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine ship in the South China Sea, incurring heavy losses. Videos and photographs of the battered warship have gone viral on social media since the Monday mishap.
Manila’s Coast Guard Spokesperson Jay Tarriella said, “The [China Coast Guard vessel] CCG 3104, which was chasing the [Filipino coast guard vessel] BRP Suluan at high speed, performed a risky manoeuvre from the [Philippine] vessel’s starboard quarter, leading to the impact with the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] Navy warship.”
What happened?
The incident took place near the disputed Scarborough Shoal while the Philippine Coast Guard was escorting vessels delivering aid to local fishermen.
Footage released by Manila captured a China Coast Guard ship and a significantly larger vessel, marked with the number 164 on its hull, colliding with a loud crash in the wake of the Philippine vessel.
The spokesperson added that earlier on Monday, the BRP Suluan had sustained a water cannon attack by the Chinese warship, but was “successfully evaded.”
What has China said?
Meanwhile, the Chinese Coast Guard has acknowledged a skirmish at the South China Sea. Gan Yu, a spokesperson of the coast guard, said, “The China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring, pressing from the outside, blocking and controlling the Philippine vessels to drive them away."
Monday’s incident marks the latest in a string of confrontations between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea—a strategic waterway that Beijing claims nearly in its entirety, despite an international ruling rejecting the legitimacy of that claim.
Over 60 per cent of global maritime trade flows through this contested region.
With inputs from agencies