MANILA: Philippine and Chinese language coastguards reported conflicting variations of a maritime confrontation round a contested shoal within the South China Sea, the newest row in a longstanding dispute between the 2 neighbours.
China’s Coast Guard mentioned 4 Philippine ships had tried to enter China’s territorial waters across the Scarborough Shoal.
Philippine ships had “dangerously approached” China Coast Guard “regular regulation enforcement patrol vessels”, prompting China’s “exercised management” over their counterparts, Liu Dejun, a coast guard spokesperson, mentioned in an announcement.
However the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) mentioned Chinese language navy and coastguard vessels had taken “aggressive actions” in opposition to a routine patrol by it and the fisheries bureau.
A Chinese language coastguard vessel fired a water cannon and sideswiped a PCG vessel, whereas Philippine vessels confronted “blocking, shadowing, and harmful manoeuvres” from Chinese language navy and coastguard ships, a PCG spokesperson mentioned.
