Representational image of a fisherman raising a Philippine flag on his boat in the South China Sea
| Photo Credit: AP

A Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Monday, China’s coast guard said.

The coast guard said a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands that’s part of territory claimed by several nations.

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The Chinese coast guard said in a statement on the social media platform WeChat the Philippine supply ship “ignored China’s repeated solemn warnings… and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision”.

“The Philippines is entirely responsible for this,” it added.

The Philippines says the shoal, which lies less than 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its coast, falls within its internationally recognised exclusive economic zone and often cites a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea based on historical grounds.

Several incidents have happened in recent months near the shoal, where the Philippines maintains a post aboard the BRP Sierra Madre ship.

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The territorial disputes have strained relations and sparked fears the conflict could bring China and the United States, a longtime treaty ally of the Philippines, into a military confrontation.

Washington lays no territorial claims to the busy seaway, a key global trade route, but has warned that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack in the South China Sea.

Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are also involved in the long-seething territorial disputes, which are regarded as a flashpoint in Asia and a delicate fault line in the longstanding U.S.-China rivalry in the region.

Taipei:

Four Chinese coastguard ships briefly sailed through Taiwan’s “prohibited” waters, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that “endanger” navigation safety.

China claims self-ruled democratic Taiwan as part of its territory, and has said it will not rule out using force to bring the island under Beijing’s control.

The Chinese ships entered waters south of Taiwan’s outlying island of Kinmen, five kilometres (three miles) from the Chinese city of Xiamen, around 3:30 pm (0730 GMT) on Monday, Taiwan’s coastguard said in a statement later the same day.

The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behaviour that endangers navigation safety”.

The sorties come weeks before the May 20 inauguration of new Taiwan president Lai Ching-te, who China regards as a dangerous separatist.

Like outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, Lai rejects China’s claim on Taiwan.

Beijing had also vowed to step up patrols around Kinmen, which is administered by Taipei, after a series of deadly fishing accidents earlier this year.

A Chinese speedboat carrying four people capsized near Kinmen on February 14 while Taiwan’s coastguard was pursuing it, leaving two dead.

Another Chinese boat capsized in the area in March, also resulting in the death of two crew members.

Taiwan’s coastguard had defended its actions, saying the boat was within “prohibited waters” and was zigzagging before it capsized, but Beijing accused Taipei of “hiding the truth” about the incident.

Defence ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters Tuesday during a flag-raising rehearsal for the May 20 inauguration that Taiwan would boost support to the coastguard in the form of surveillance and reconnaissance.

When asked if the presence of Chinese ships would disrupt the shipping of supplies to Taiwan’s offshore islands, he said “overall we are very well prepared and have full confidence in ensuring regional security”.

He added that “there is no abnormality in the Taiwan Strait at the moment”.

“We have made the most complete preparations taking into account the enemy’s threats and can cope with any unexpected situation,” Sun said.

Given the heightened tensions, Taiwanese authorities said they were on alert for potential military exercises by Beijing after May 20.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)