By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD (AA) - Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday accused Chinese forces of harassing its fisheries vessels in the disputed South China Sea, according to local media.
"The BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) vessels encountered aggressive maneuvers from three Chinese Coast Guard vessels 4106, 5103 and 4202, which exhibited blatant disregard for the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs)," the PCG said.
"Fortunately, the skilled seamanship of the BFAR crew prevented any potential accidents during these dangerous confrontations," it added.
In separate statement, China Coast Guard said that Manila dispatched a civilian vessel to deliver supplies to its grounded ship at Ren'ai Jiao in the South China Sea after securing an approval from Chinese side.
The CCG conducted verification and maintained oversight throughout the process, Xinhua News reported, citing China Coast Guard spokesperson.
Tensions between Beijing and Manila over disputed areas of the South China Sea have further escalated in recent months.
Competing claims of territorial sovereignty over islands and smaller features in the South China Sea have been a longstanding source of tension in the region.
The sea – a crucial passage for a significant portion of the world’s commercial shipping – is bordered by Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Spreading over 3.5 million square kilometers, nearly one-third of the world's shipping estimated at $11.3 billion worth of trade annually pass through this waterway, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.