On Monday, a Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, according to the Chinese Coast Guard. The incident occurred when the Philippine supply vessel entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands claimed by multiple countries.
The Chinese Coast Guard stated on the social media platform WeChat that the Philippine supply ship ignored repeated warnings from China and dangerously approached the Chinese vessel. They added, "The Philippines bears full responsibility for this."
The Philippines asserts that the shoal, located less than 200 nautical miles from its coast, falls within its internationally recognized Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Spratly Islands, a group of more than 100 small islands and reefs, are claimed in whole or in part by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.