Both countries traded blame after the incident earlier Sunday, the latest such confrontation in the contested sea, AFP reported.
The collision happened during a Philippine resupply mission to a tiny garrison on Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, a flashpoint for Manila and Beijing -- coming a day after another incident near Scarborough Shoal.
On both days Chinese ships “employed water cannons and reckless maneuvers, including forcing a collision, causing damage to Philippine vessels undertaking official supply missions to those locations, and jeopardizing the safety of the Filipino crew,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
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Videos released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed Chinese ships blasting water cannon at Philippine boats during two separate resupply missions to fishermen at Scarborough Shoal and a tiny garrison at Second Thomas Shoal on Saturday and Sunday.
ReplyDeleteThere was also a collision between Philippine and Chinese boats at Second Thomas Shoal, where a handful of Filipino troops are stationed on a grounded warship, with both countries trading blame.