Philippine, Chinese Ships Collide in South China Waters

Two ships flying the flags of China and the Philippines have collided in a new incident near the South China Sea. A Philippine Coast Guard vessel came into contact with a Chinese vessel early this morning in waters near Xianbin Jiao, before later continuing into waters of Renai Jiao, said the Chinese Coast Guard. He added that the Philippine Coast Guard ship defied the warnings of the Chinese side and ignored the route monitoring, and penetrated into the waters of Ren'ai Jiao. He urged the Philippine side to stop such provocations immediately, otherwise it will bear full responsibility for any consequences resulting from such violations. For its part, the Philippines announced today that two Philippine Coast Guard ships were damaged after being subjected to "illegal and aggressive maneuvers" by Chinese Coast Guard ships while heading to the disputed islands of Batang and Lawak. National Task Force for the Western Philippine Sea Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said Philippine Coast Guard vessels were tasked w ith resupplying personnel deployed in Patag and Lawak islands, adding that the dangerous Chinese maneuvers resulted in collisions, causing structural damage to both vessels. The spokesperson called for restraint and adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other relevant international laws to prevent further escalation and ensure the safety of all vessels operating in the area. Source: Qatar News Agency