KUALA LUMPUR: A Chinese warship collided with its own coast guard vessel today while the latter was chasing a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea, the Philippines said.
According to the BBC, Philippines Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said officials had been distributing aid to fishermen in the disputed Scarborough Shoal when the Chinese coast guard vessel performed a risky manoeuvre that caused substantial damage to the warship’s forward deck.
Video released by the Philippines showed a Chinese coast guard ship firing water cannons at a Philippine vessel before sharply turning and crashing into a larger Chinese warship.
China confirmed a confrontation had taken place and accused the Philippines of forcibly intruding into Chinese waters, but made no mention of the collision.
Tarriela said the crash left the warship unseaworthy and reiterated calls for Beijing to respect international conventions in handling territorial disputes.
“Such reckless behaviour at sea could ultimately lead to accidents,” he warned.
China‘s coast guard maintained it was acting in accordance with the law to drive Philippine vessels away.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
