Tensions Escalate as China and Philippines Accuse Each Other of Ship Ramming in South China Sea

The South China Sea dispute flares up as China and the Philippines accuse each other of deliberate ship ramming. The Philippine Coast Guard claims China intentionally collided with its ship three times, while China accuses a Philippine vessel of illegal and provocative actions. No injuries were reported.

Tensions in the South China Sea have risen significantly after China and the Philippines traded accusations of intentional ship ramming within the contentious maritime area. The Philippine Coast Guard alleged that a Chinese vessel had 'deliberately rammed' one of its ships three times.

'This afternoon (August 31), the Chinese Coast Guard vessel deliberately rammed and collided with the BRP Teresa Magbanua three times, despite no provocation from the Philippine Coast Guard,' stated Jay Tarriela, a senior official with the Philippine Coast Guard, in a post on social media platform X. Tarriela also shared images showing the extent of the damage to the Filipino vessel, stressing that the act was unprovoked.

In a counterstatement, China's coastguard claimed that a Philippine ship, purportedly 'illegally stranded' at Sabina Shoal, had intentionally rammed one of its vessels. Liu Dejun, a spokesman for China's coastguard, vowed to take actions to 'resolutely thwart all acts of provocation, nuisance, and infringement' to protect China's territorial and maritime rights, according to Al Jazeera.

Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from the collisions. The disputed Escoda (Sabina) Shoal is claimed by the Philippines to lie within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), situated 140 km west of Palawan Island and about 1,200 km from China's Hainan Island.

This incident follows a previous confrontation where a Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel faced 'aggressive and dangerous maneuvers' from eight Chinese Coast Guard ships while navigating from Hasa-Hasa Shoal to Escoda Shoal, according to PNA reports.

(With inputs from agencies.)