China blames Philippines for ship collision in South China Sea. Manila calls the report deceptive

By SIMINA MISTREANU and JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

TAIPEI (AP) — China’s coast guard says a Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The coast guard said a Philippine supply ship on Monday entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands that’s part of territory claimed by several nations. The Philippine military called the Chinese coast guard’s report “deceptive and misleading.” The Chinese coast guard said in a statement on the social media platform WeChat the Philippine supply ship “ignored China’s repeated solemn warnings … and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision.” The Philippines says the shoal is within its internationally recognized exclusive economic zone.