MANILA – The Philippine Fisheries Bureau said a “Chinese maritime militia” boat deliberately sideswiped one of its two vessels conducting a routine maritime patrol near Thitu Island in the South China Sea last Friday.
The ship suffered dents in its starboard bow, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said in a statement issued late Monday.
China and the Philippines are at loggerheads over a series of clashes over disputed areas in southern China, with Manila accusing the Chinese coast guard of aggression and Beijing furious over what it calls repeated provocations and territorial incursions.
The Philippines has also accused China of maintaining a maritime militia to strengthen its presence in the South China Sea. Beijing has maintained that the ships are civilian.
A video shared by the agency showed the Chinese boat with bow number 00108 approaching its vessel, BRP Datu Cabaylo, and moving close before colliding with it.
“Despite the incident, the BFAR vessel maintained its position and was able to continue its… mission,” the fisheries agency said.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including Philippine-occupied Thitu, rejecting a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that Beijing’s sweeping claims had no basis under international law. The Philippines has taken the case to court.
Last week’s maritime collision comes in the wake of a regional summit of Southeast Asian leaders, where Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for accelerated negotiations on a code of conduct for the South China Sea. – Reuters