China Coast Guard warns Philippines following crash in South China Sea

A Philippine government vessel deliberately crashed into a China Coast Guard ship in waters near Huangyan Island in the South China Sea on Wednesday, a CCG spokesman said.

The CCG spokesman Liu Dejun said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that the Philippines dispatched coast guard vessels, government ships and several fishing boats to intrude into the territorial waters of China's Huangyan Island on Wednesday.

The CCG took control measures against those vessels in accordance with laws and regulations, he said.

During the intrusion, the Philippine government vessel No 3003 ignored multiple stern warnings from the Chinese side, "made a sharp turn in reverse and deliberately rammed into" the CCG vessel No 3302, Liu said.

The spokesman criticized the actions of the Philippines, noting that they severely endangered the navigation safety of CCG ships and that the Philippine side is "unequivocal provocateurs" and "perpetrators".

He further accused the Philippines of using the pretext of fishing protection to carry out acts of infringement and provocation, and then distorting the facts and falsely accusing China in an attempt to mislead international opinion.

Liu warned the Philippines to immediately cease its infringement and provocative actions, as well as its misleading propaganda, or else bear all the consequences arising from its actions.

China Coast Guard exercised control over four official Philippine vessels that attempted to intrude into the territorial waters of China's Huangyan Island in the South China Sea on Wednesday, a spokesman said on Wednesday morning.

CCG spokesman Liu Dejun said in a statement that the four vessels, including two Philippine Coast Guard ships and two government vessels, dangerously approached Chinese Coast Guard vessels conducting regular law enforcement patrols.

The Chinese side exercised control over the vessels in accordance with the law and regulations, he said.