Philippines says Chinese ship 'rammed' government vessel in South China Sea

MANILA: The Philippines said a China Coast Guard ship "rammed" one of its fisheries department boats on Friday (Sep 18) morning in contested waters in the South China Sea.

China's coast guard subsequently blamed the actions of the Philippine vessel, which it said "bears full responsibility for the incident".

The incident took place near a shoal in the contested Spratly Islands chain, a fish-rich flashpoint that has been the site of violent confrontations with China Coast Guard vessels in recent years.

Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

The Chinese vessel "rammed BRP Datu Magat Salamat ... as it carried out its maritime patrol to deliver fuel subsidy to our fishermen", Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said.

"At 11.04am, CCG-21585 cut across the stern of the BFAR (fisheries bureau) vessel at a distance of only about 10m."

Nine minutes later, the "Chinese vessel repeated the maneuver and this time made contact, striking the BFAR vessel", the statement shared with reporters said.

Video released on X by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the Chinese vessel near the stern of the boat and a crewmember shouting "collision", although the impact is not visible.

Jiang Lue, a spokesperson for China's coast guard, blamed the Philippine vessel for "disregarding repeated solemn warnings" and deliberately changing course to "cut across the bow of the Chinese coast guard vessel".

"The Philippine side's actions seriously violated international law ... threatening the safety of Chinese coast guard vessels and personnel," Lue said.

"We sternly warn the Philippine side to immediately cease all acts of infringement and provocation; otherwise, it must bear all consequences," he warned.

The Philippines and China renewed their confrontations in the South China Sea in July after a brief period of quiet, making headlines just as Manila was hosting a gathering of ASEAN foreign ministers.