A Philippine Navy sailor suffered “serious injuries” after what the military on Tuesday described as an “intentional high-speed ramming” by the Chinese Coast Guard during a resupply mission within the South China Sea.
The Philippine military said in an announcement that the Chinese Coast Guard’s “continued aggressive and unprofessional behavior towards a legitimate humanitarian mission is unacceptable.”
China and the Philippines accuse one another of Monday’s collision near a disputed atoll within the South China Sea.
Philippine officials said China interrupted a military mission to resupply sailors stationed at Second Thomas Shoal on the rusting navy ship BRP Sierra Madre, which Manila deliberately beached in 1999 to shore up its maritime claims.
The Chinese Coast Guard disputed this and stated that the navy ship had deliberately and dangerously approached the Chinese ship in an unprofessional manner, forcing it to take control measures equivalent to “warnings and blockades, boarding inspections, and compelled evictions”.
The Philippines said China’s account was “deceptive and misleading.”
The Philippine military said on Tuesday that the injured sailor had been evacuated and was being treated. She didn’t specify the character of the injury.
The Second Thomas Bank has been a flashpoint between the 2 countries in recent months. The atoll lies inside Manila’s 200-nautical-mile maritime zone, which China also claims as its own.
China claims almost the whole South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
A 2016 arbitration ruling rejected China’s historic claims to the resource-rich waterway, a choice Beijing rejected.
The U.S. State Department called the incident the newest in a series of Chinese “provocations” geared toward impeding supplies to Philippine personnel stationed at BRP Sierra Madre.
The United States also repeated its warning on Tuesday that it’s obligated to defend its close treaty ally, the Philippines.
Canada and the UK also condemned China’s actions, while France and Japan expressed concern in regards to the incident.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press
