Philippine ship and Chinese vessel collide in South China Sea

Philippine Marines fold a Philippine national flag aboard the Sierra Madre, a marooned transport ship in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, in March 2014. Wire photo

AFP-JIJI
June 17, 2024

BEIJING – Philippine and Chinese vessels collided near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday, the China Coast Guard (CCG) said, as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims over the disputed area.

Known in Chinese as the Ren'ai Reef, the Second Thomas Shoal has seen an escalating number of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months.

These have often taken place during Philippine attempts to supply a garrison of Philippine troops on a grounded navy vessel, the Sierra Madre, aimed at asserting Manila's claims to the reef.