Philippines says Chinese vessels hit two of its boats near disputed shoal

In this image from a video released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Filipino sailors, bottom, look after a Chinese coast guard ship with bow number 5203 bumps their supply boat as they approach Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin Shoal, at the disputed South China Sea on Sunday Oct. 22, 2023.

AP

MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese coast guard ship and one of its militia vessels separately bumped a Philippine coast guard ship and a military-run supply boat Sunday off a disputed shoal in the South China Sea “in dangerous, irresponsible and illegal actions,” Philippine officials said.

They did not say if there were injuries or damage from the two incidents off the Second Thomas Shoal that the United States, a longtime treaty ally of the Philippines, immediately condemned. The Philippine government also condemned the latest confrontation in “the strongest degree” and called it a violation of Manila’s sovereignty.

Chinese Embassy officials did not immediately comment on the Philippine report.

The U.S. Ambassador to Manila, MaryKay Carlson, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “the United States condemns the PRC’s latest disruption of a legal Philippine resupply mission to Ayungin shoal, putting the lives of Filipino service members at risk.”

She used the initials for China’s formal name, the People’s Republic of China, and the name the Philippines uses for the Second Thomas Shoal. She added that Washington was standing with its allies to help protect Philippine sovereignty and to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

A Philippine government task force said the collisions occurred as two Philippine supply boats escorted by two Philippine coast guard ships were…