China accuses Philippines of invasion of national waters

Two supply vessels of the Philippines this week, without China’s permission, invaded the waters of the Nansha Islands, in connection with which the PRC coast guard ships took the necessary measures, Zhao Lijian, Spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a briefing on Thursday, Report informs, citing RIA Novosti.

Earlier, CNN Philippines reported that the Chinese coast guard ships blocked and shelled at least two Filipino boats carrying food to the military on an island in the South China Sea, using water cannons. Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin said that no one was hurt, but the Philippine boats had to cut the mission short. He also protested to the PRC and condemned the actions of the Chinese ships, which, in his opinion, could threaten relations between Beijing and Manila.

For decades, China has been in disputes with several countries in the Asia-Pacific region over the territorial belonging of a number of islands in the South China Sea, on the shelf of which significant reserves of hydrocarbons have been discovered. They are Xisha Archipelago (Paracel Islands), Nansha Islands (Spratly), and Huangyan (Scarborough Shoal). Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines are involved in this dispute to some extent.