2 Chinese vessels collide in disputed waters: Philippines

ISTANBUL

Two Chinese vessels collided with each other in the disputed waters of the South China Sea on Monday, according to the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG).

“A collision took place between China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 3104 and People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) ship 164,” the coast guard said in a statement.

The accident occurred near Huangyan Island, also known as Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc, where Manila had deployed BRP Teresa Magbanua and BRP Suluan vessels for its fishing vessels.

According to the PCG, the CCG 3104 was chasing the BRP Suluan and “performed a risky maneuver” from the PCG vessel's starboard quarter, “leading to the impact with the PLA Navy warship,” said the PCG.

“This resulted in substantial damage to the CCG vessel's forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy,” it added.

It charged the Chinese side of “hazardous maneuvers and blocking actions from other vessels in the vicinity,” as well as water cannoning of the MRRV 4406 vessel “but the seamanship skills by PCG crew members allowed the vessel to successfully evade from getting hit.”

According to China's Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu, the Philippines “sent multiple coast guard and government vessels, under the pretext of delivering supplies to fishing boats, to forcibly intrude into waters near China’s Huangyan Dao, despite repeated dissuasion and warnings from the Chinese side.”

“The China Coast Guard, in accordance with the law, took all necessary measures, including tracking, monitoring, blocking, and controlling, to drive the Philippines vessels away. On-site operations were conducted in a professional, standard, and lawful manner,” said Gan.

Beijing was yet to issue any statement on damages to its vessel as claimed by Manila.