Philippines and China say ships collided at new South China Sea flashpoint
Al Jazeera
They blame each other for the early morning incident at Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
Ships from China and the Philippines have collided during a confrontation in the disputed South China Sea, with each blaming the other for the incident.
The collision took place at 3:24am local time on Monday (19:24 GMT on Sunday) at Sabina Shoal, which lies about 140km (86 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan, the closest major land mass.
China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu accused the Philippines of “illegally” entering the waters around the disputed atoll and deliberately colliding with the Chinese ship.
“The China Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law,” Gan said.
The Spratlys, also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, lie more than 1,300km (808 miles) from China’s Hainan Island.
