By Anadolu staff
China and the Philippines on Thursday made diverging claims about an incident that occurred in the South China Sea a day earlier, according to local media reports.
In a statement, the China Coast Guard (CCG) said that Philippine vessels "illegally intruded" into the waters near Zhubi Jiao and Tiexian Jiao of China’s Nansha Qundao on Wednesday without permission from the Chinese government, state-run Global Times reported.
"The Philippine side also sent personnel to illegally land on Tiexian Jiao and carry out activities there. In response, CCG law enforcement personnel carried out control measures in accordance with the law and boarded the reef to verify the situation. On-site operations were conducted in a professional and lawful manner," said CCG spokesperson Liu Dejun.
Liu claimed that the Philippine vessel ignored repeated stern warnings from the Chinese side and dangerously approached the CCG vessel , which at the time was engaged in routine rights protection and law enforcement operations, resulting in a minor collision.
However, the Philippines’ fisheries bureau accused China of firing water cannons and sideswiping a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel in Pag-asa Cay 2, also known as Sandy Cay, which Beijing calls Tiexian Jiao, when their ships were on a routine mission with a scientific team, according to GMA Network.
China and the Philippines have been locked in a months-long confrontation over the contested waters, accusing each other of causing ecological degradation of several disputed landforms in the South China Sea.
Both sides have claims in the South China Sea, with Beijing asserting control over nearly the entire region.
*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid