Chinese and Philippine ships collide, the sides blame each other

A video released by the Philippine Coast Guard shows Chinese and Philippine vessels colliding in the disputed Sabina Reef. In one case, the Chinese vessel appears to be intentionally cutting off the Philippine vessel.

However, both sides quickly blamed each other for the incident.

Liu Dejun, a spokesman for the Chinese coast guard, said in a statement that the Philippine ship was “illegally anchored” in the area and “provoking and causing trouble.”

In a post on X that also included footage of the incident, Jay Tarriella, a spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard, said the Chinese ship “intentionally rammed and collided with the Philippine vessel without provocation.”

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller condemned China's actions in a statement, calling them “dangerous and escalating.”

“This is the latest in a series of dangerous and escalating actions by the PRC. In August 2024, the PRC repeatedly aggressively interfered with the Philippines' legitimate air and maritime operations in the South China Sea, including at Sabina Reef. The PRC's unlawful claims of 'territorial sovereignty' over maritime areas where no land area exists, and its increasingly aggressive actions to enforce them, threaten the freedom of navigation and overflight of all nations,” he said.

The Sabina Reef is located about 87 miles west of the Philippine island of Palawan, while it is about 746 miles from the nearest Chinese landmass, according to Al-Jazeera.

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In May, Philippine authorities said China had begun building “large artificial islands” near the Sabina Reef, citing findings of crushed coral. Philippine patrols had thwarted the attempts, Tarriella said.

China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, which includes the Sabina Sea.