China and Philippines accuse each other of ramming ships in the South China Sea

By Neil Jerome Morales and Joe Cash

BEIJING (Reuters) – The Philippines and China accused each other on Saturday of deliberately ramming coast guard vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea, the latest incident in a series of clashes in the vital waterway.

The collision near Sabina Reef was their fifth maritime confrontation within a month in a long-standing rivalry.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Parts of the waterway, through which $3 trillion worth of trade is carried annually, are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas reserves as well as fish stocks.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration concluded that China's far-reaching claims lacked any legal basis. Beijing rejects this ruling.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela showed videos of Saturday's confrontation at a press conference and said Chinese Coast Guard Ship 5205 “directly and intentionally rammed” the Philippine vessel without provocation.

The ramming damaged the 97-meter-long Teresa Magbanua, one of the Philippines' largest coast guard vessels, but no one was injured, Tarriela said.

Liu Dejun, a spokesman for the Chinese coast guard, said in a statement that a Philippine ship “illegally stranded in the shoal,” lifted anchor and “intentionally rammed” a Chinese ship. He called on the Philippines to withdraw immediately or face the consequences.

“The Chinese Coast Guard will take necessary measures to resolutely thwart all provocations, harassment and violations of law, and resolutely safeguard the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” Liu said.

Tarriela said Manila would not withdraw its ship “despite the harassment, intimidation and escalating measures by the Chinese coast guard.”

USA condemns Chinese “violations”

The US ambassador to the Philippines expressed Washington's support for the Philippines, a treaty ally.

“The United States condemns the People’s Republic of China’s numerous dangerous violations of international law, including today’s deliberate ramming,” Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said on the social media platform X.

The Philippines sent a ship to Sabina Reef, 75 nautical miles off the coast of the Philippine province of Palawan, in April. Manila accused Beijing of building an artificial island and said it had discovered piles of dead and broken coral on the sandbars, which Beijing denies.

This week, the Philippine Maritime Council said Chinese aircraft had carried out unsafe maneuvers against a civilian aircraft conducting patrols over two other disputed areas, Scarborough Reef and Subi Reef.

The Philippines accused China of blocking a routine resupply mission on Sunday. Chinese ships rammed and fired water cannons at a fisheries agency vessel carrying food, fuel and medical supplies for Filipino fishermen.

(Reporting by Joe Cash in Beijing and Neil Jerome Morales; editing by William Mallard and Helen Popper)