China Coast Guard drives off Filipino ships intruding in South China Sea

China Coast Guard boarded, inspected and drove away several Philippine vessels that illegally intruded into Chinese waters near the Ren'ai Reef in the South China Sea on Monday, a spokesman said on Monday afternoon.

Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, said in a statement that the Philippines had violated its commitments by dispatching a supply ship and two inflatable boats into waters near the Ren'ai Reef in the Nansha Islands, attempting to deliver supplies to a Philippine warship which has been grounded there for 24 years.

During the process, the Philippine supply ship "dangerously approached and deliberately collided" with a normally sailing Chinese vessel, he said.

The China Coast Guard took control measures under the law, including issuing warnings, boarding Philippine vessels and conducting inspections, and forcibly driving away them, Gan said, emphasizing that these actions were reasonable, lawful, professional, and standardized.

"We once again sternly warn the Philippine side: any form of infringement or provocation is futile," the spokesman stated.