Philippines, China trade accusations of ramming ships in South China Sea | South China Sea News

The Sabina Shoal is the new flashpoint in the maritime confrontations between Manila and Beijing.

China and the Philippines have accused each other of ramming their ships in a disputed area of the South China Sea as their clashes over the vital waterway escalate.

China’s coastguard on Saturday said a Philippine ship, “illegally stranded” at the Sabina Shoal, “deliberately rammed” a Chinese vessel. The Philippine coastguard said a Chinese vessel had “intentionally rammed” one of Manila’s ships.

No injuries were reported as a result of the collisions.

The disputed Sabina Shoal is located 140km (87 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,200km (746 miles) from Hainan Island, the closest Chinese landmass.

Liu Dejun, a spokesman for China’s coastguard, said it will take steps “to resolutely thwart all acts of provocation, nuisance and infringement and resolutely safeguard the country’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests”.

“China exercises indisputable sovereignty” in this zone, Liu said.

China’s coastguard took dangerous actions by ignoring collision regulations, said the spokesman for the Philippines coastguard, Jay Tarriela.

Tarriela said the ramming took place three times, hitting the vessel’s port bow, starboard quarter and port beam and caused damage.

“It is important for us to take note that this ramming happened despite … our unprovoked action and presence in Escoda Shoal,” Tarriela told reporters, using the Filipino name for the Sabina Shoal.

The shoal lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile (370km) exclusive economic zone. It is also the rendezvous point for Philippine resupply missions to the garrison on the Second Thomas Shoal.

The collisions took place after a similar incident this week when China’s coastguard said it rescued Filipino “personnel” who fell overboard after the two countries traded fire over collided ships.

In June, a Filipino sailor lost a thumb in a clash when Chinese coastguard members wielding knives, sticks and an axe foiled a Philippine Navy attempt to resupply a small garrison.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, parts of which are claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The sea is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits, as well as fish stocks, and is where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration found China’s claims to the area had no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejected.

China has deployed a number of vessels to protect its claims.