Philippines says crew hurt, vessels damaged by China Coast Guard

AFP:   The Philippines said Tuesday that China Coast Guard vessels caused two collisions with Philippine boats and water cannoned one of them, leaving four crew injured during a resupply mission in the South China Sea.

The incidents happened in waters around Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands where the countries have contesting maritime claims.

A Philippine government task force said in a statement that "China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons, and executed dangerous maneuvers in another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct a routine resupply and rotation mission".

The China Coast Guard said it "took control measures" against Philippine ships' "illegal intrusion" in waters around the shoal.

The BRP Sindangan, along with a sister ship, had been deployed to support the military chartered Unaizah May 4 and Unaizah May 1 boats carrying replacement soldiers and supplies to Second Thomas Shoal, where Filipino troops are stationed on a grounded Philippine navy vessel, the BRP Sierra Madre.

Four crew on board the Unaizah May 4 were injured when two China Coast Guard ships simultaneously fired water cannon at it, shattering the windshield, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said in a statement.

It said a China Coast Guard vessel also caused a "minor collision" with the Unaizah May 4, which turned back to shore without delivering its cargo.

The Unaizah May 1 was able to unload its provisions, which the troops on the BRP Sierra Madre depend on for their survival.

Earlier in the morning, the task force added, a China Coast Guard vessel caused a separate "minor collision" with one of the Philippine Coast Guard ships that was escorting the supply boats.

China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu accused the Philippine Coast Guard ship of "intentionally" ramming the Chinese boat, causing a "minor scrape".

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing had expressed "strong protests" over the run-in with the Filipino vessels which were "attempting to transport construction supplies and building materials" to the decrepit Sierra Madre.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from a host of Southeast Asian nations and an international ruling that has declared its stance baseless.