17-6-2024 (BEIJING) A dramatic confrontation occurred in the contested waters of the South China Sea on Monday (Jun 17) when a Philippine supply vessel collided with a Chinese ship near the Second Thomas Shoal, according to Chinese authorities.
The Chinese Coast Guard accused the Philippine transport ship of illegally intruding into waters adjacent to the disputed shoal and deliberately approaching a Chinese vessel in an “unprofessional manner,” leading to a minor collision. Repeated warnings from Beijing were ignored, the coast guard said in a statement, though no injuries or significant damage were reported.
This latest incident is part of an ongoing dispute between China and the Philippines over maritime claims in the resource-rich South China Sea. For months, the two nations have traded accusations of dangerous maneuvers and collisions around the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged atoll within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Tensions often escalate when Manila attempts to resupply its troops stationed aboard a rusty warship that was deliberately grounded on the shoal in 1999 to reinforce the country’s territorial claims. Beijing asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, dismissing overlapping claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.
The timing of the collision is particularly sensitive, coming just days after China implemented new maritime rules that authorize its coast guard to use lethal force against foreign vessels operating in waters claimed by Beijing. The revised regulations, which took effect on June 15, allow suspected trespassers to be detained for up to 60 days without trial.
