MANILA/BEIJING (Reuters) – The Philippines and China clashed in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Sunday over what Manila said was a resupply mission for fishermen, the latest in a series of sea and air confrontations in the strategic waterway.
The incident overshadows efforts by both nations to rebuild trust and better manage disputes after months of confrontations, including a violent clash in June where a Filipino sailor lost a finger.
The Philippines accused China of “aggressive and dangerous manoeuvres” to block the resupply mission, while China’s coast guard said it had taken “control measures” against a vessel that had “illegally” entered the waters and repeatedly approached Chinese ships in a dangerous manner.
In the incident near the Sabina Shoal, the Philippine South China Sea task force said Chinese vessels rammed and used water cannons against a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries ship transporting food, fuel and medical supplies for Filipino fishermen.
China asserts sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, including areas claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei. Beijing has deployed an armada of vessels to protect its claims.
An international arbitral tribunal in 2016 ruled Beijing’s claim had no basis under international law, a landmark victory for the Philippines, which filed the case. Beijing rejects that decision.
The Philippines and China agreed to “restore trust” and “rebuild confidence” to manage maritime disputes in a high-level meeting last month. That was followed by a provisional arrangement about Manila’s resupply missions to a beached Filipino naval ship in the South China Sea.
“These unprofessional, aggressive, and illegal actions posed serious risks to the safety of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they were meant to serve,” the Philippine task force said of Sunday’s confrontation.
It said the Bureau of Fisheries vessel, operating from Half-Moon Shoal to Sabina Shoal, encountered multiple Chinese vessels that deployed “perilous manoeuvres”, causing its engine to fail and forcing it to end the resupply mission.
Manila repeated its call for Beijing to halt “provocative actions that destabilise regional peace and security.”
On Saturday, Manila accused Beijing of “unjustifiably” deploying flares from the China-occupied Subi Reef on Thursday while a Manila aircraft was conducting patrols.
The same aircraft had “faced harassment” from a Chinese jet fighter while it was conducting a surveillance flight near the Scarborough Shoal on Monday, the Philippines said.
Treaty ally the United States echoed the Philippines’ call on Saturday, condemning China for launching the flares.
(Reporting by Karen Lema in Manila and Antoni Slodkowski in Beijing; Editing by Kim Coghill and William Mallard)