Philippines, China in tiff over South China Sea collision

As tensions over claims in the crucial waterway increase, the Philippines and China exchanged accusations on Sunday over a collision of their vessels close to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

While China’s coast guard said the Philippine vessel deliberately rammed their ship, the Philippine coast guard accused China of firing water cannons and ramming resupply vessels and a coast guard ship, causing “serious engine damage” to one.

A route for over $3 trillion in yearly shipborne trade, the South China Sea is nearly entirely claimed by China, with portions also held by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration declared that China’s claims lacked legal support.