Another encounter between Chinese and Philippine vessels occurs near a sensitive shoal.

China’s coast guard reported that it rescued Filipino “personnel” who fell overboard on Sunday following a collision between a Philippine vessel and one of its ships near a contested shoal in the South China Sea. The Philippines condemned China’s assertions as “completely unfounded.” In recent months, the two countries have faced numerous confrontations at sea, with Manila accusing China on Saturday of firing flares at one of its patrol aircraft on two occasions. China continues to uphold its claims over nearly the entire sea, disregarding an international tribunal ruling that deemed its assertions lacking any legal foundation. Beijing accused the Philippine vessel of deliberately causing the collision. According to Chinese officials, this incident occurred near the disputed Sabina Shoal, located 140 kilometers (86 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan and approximately 1,200 kilometers from Hainan Island, the nearest Chinese territory. Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu stated that the collision happened when a Philippine vessel ignored “control measures” while trying to deliver supplies to another ship “illegally stationed” near Xianbin Reef in the Nansha Islands, using the Chinese names for both the Sabina Shoal and the Spratly Islands, which are also claimed by the Philippines. “China warns the Philippines to immediately halt its infringing actions; otherwise, the Philippines will be responsible for any consequences arising from this situation,” Gan declared. The Philippines contended that its ships faced “aggressive and dangerous maneuvers” from the Chinese side while on a humanitarian mission to provide Filipino fishermen with diesel, food, and medical supplies. A statement from Manila’s National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea indicated that Chinese vessels engaged in perilous maneuvers, resulting in ramming, horn blasts, and water cannon usage, which forced an early end to their resupply operation after one of their ships suffered an engine failure. “These unprofessional, aggressive, and illegal actions posed significant risks to the safety of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they intended to assist,” the statement asserted, noting that no injuries were reported. Footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard depicted a Chinese ship approaching and ramming its vessel’s left side, while another clip showed a Chinese vessel traveling dangerously close alongside the Philippine ship.

On Saturday, the Philippines accused China of firing flares at one of its aircraft during a patrol in the South China Sea earlier this month. On Monday, both nations also reported another collision between their coast guard ships near Sabina Shoal. Manila indicated that this marked Beijing’s first hostile action in that area, where both sides have stationed coast guard vessels recently, amid concerns that China may be planning to construct an artificial island. US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson criticized the “unsafe, unlawful, and aggressive conduct” exhibited by Chinese vessels on Sunday, describing it as “the latest in a series of dangerous actions” by China. “We are unwavering in our support for our Philippine allies,” she stated on X. China has deployed vessels to patrol the busy South China Sea and has constructed militarized artificial islands to bolster its claims. In June, Chinese coast guard personnel displayed weapons including knives and an axe while boarding Philippine naval vessels near a strategic reef. The Philippine military reported that one of its sailors lost a thumb during this confrontation, during which China’s coast guard also confiscated or destroyed Philippine equipment, including firearms. Beijing attributes the escalation to Manila’s actions and maintains that its responses to protect its claims are both legal and proportional.