Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels have reportedly collided in the disputed South China Sea, injuring four Filipino crew members.
"China and the Philippines are trading blame for the latest collision between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea as tensions remain high over disputed reefs in the waters.
The collision occurred on Tuesday morning near Second Thomas Shoal, and four Filipino crew members were injured. The Philippines uses a grounded ship on Second Thomas Shoal as a base for operations in the region, and China often blocks resupply shipments to the vessel.
The maritime dispute risks sparking a major war since the U.S. has repeatedly warned China that the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty applies to attacks on Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, meaning the U.S. is threatening it would intervene if the dispute turns hot.
After the collision, a spokesman for the Chinese Coast Guard said Manila 'violated its commitments and deliberately sent two coastguard ships and two supply ships'.
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Map showing overlapping claims in the South China Sea |
'The Philippines is dishonest in its dialogue, deliberately stirs up trouble, maliciously incites and sensationalizes, and continues to undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea region', the spokesman added, according to The South China Morning Post.
In response, a spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard said their vessels 'faced dangerous maneuvers and blocking' and said China’s 'reckless and illegal actions led to a collision'.
Tensions between China and the Philippines have soared since Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. came into power in 2022. He has taken a harder line against China’s claims to the South China Sea than his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, and has been emboldened by the U.S., which is beefing up its military presence in the Philippines and stepping up patrols in the South China Sea". -Dave DeCamp, Antiwar
The South China Sea is a conduit for more than three trillion dollars of commercial shipping annually, which China claims sovereignty over a large portion of, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines.
Of course, this latest maritime incident in the region comes prior to the annual joint military exercises between U.S. and Philippine troops called “Balikatan” or "shoulder-to-shoulder" that are scheduled to take place in the Philippine islands facing the South China Sea and Taiwan during the months of April and May, as tensions with Beijing continue to simmer.