Philippines accused by China of causing Coast Guard collision at Escoda Shoal, warned to cease 'provocation'

• The Philippine vessel was accused by the Chinese Coast Guard of acting in an "unprofessional and dangerous" manner, despite receiving multiple warnings and intentionally colliding with a Chinese ship.
• The latest confrontation between the countries' vessels in the waters around the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea involves both countries asserting their ownership over the area.

On Monday, the Chinese Coast Guard accused Philippine vessels of "illegally" entering and colliding with one of their ships in the vicinity of the Escoda Shoal, resulting in the latest territorial dispute between the two nations.

A Philippine vessel was accused by the Chinese Coast Guard of acting in an "unprofessional and dangerous" manner, repeatedly ignoring warnings and colliding with a Chinese ship.

The Philippines will bear all the consequences if it does not immediately stop its infringement and provocation, as stated.

The Chinese Coast Guard's website displayed videos of the collision.

The Escoda Shoal, also known as Sabina Shoal and Xianbin Reef, is a location in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea that has been the site of a standoff between China and the Philippines since April. This conflict arose when one of the Philippine Coast Guard's largest ships, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, was sent there.

On Friday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson stated that Beijing had issued a warning to the Philippines to cease its unlawful actions and remove its ship from the area.

A Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson challenged Beijing's claims on social media in response to a post from a Chinese state-controlled outlet that questioned Manila's presence in the waters.

According to Tarriela, Escoda Shoal is situated within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone, as per the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award.

The Philippine Coast Guard is authorized to operate in Escoda Shoal's lagoon for as long as required, without seeking permission from any other country.

The Philippine Coast Guard deployed their vessel to safeguard their sovereign rights over the waters, not to provoke or escalate tensions.

Months of tension have been building between China and the Philippines in the Spratly Islands.

The Second Thomas Shoal, another disputed area, has witnessed Philippine vessels being rammed and sprayed with water cannons. In one such incident, China seized Filipino boats, injuring a Navy personnel onboard, according to Philippine authorities.

Despite reaching a provisional agreement over the disputed Second Thomas Shoal last month, China and the Philippines soon began publicly disagreeing over the terms of the deal.

Over the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippines accused China's Air Force of performing risky maneuvers last week.

The U.S., which has a mutual defense pact with the Philippines, has condemned Beijing's actions.

On Friday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo reportedly attempted to assuage Chinese apprehensions regarding the presence of a U.S.-donated missile system in the Philippines, asserting that it posed no danger to China and would not disrupt the region's stability. In July, the U.S. committed to providing $500 million in military assistance to the country.

The Philippines has also expanded its military cooperation with Japan.

On Friday, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China's defense ministry, stated that defense cooperation between the Philippines, U.S., and Japan should not aim at targeting any third party or disrupting regional peace and stability.

"Other regional countries despise the Philippines for inviting wolves into their homes and acting as their pawns," he stated.