MANILA, Sept 18 (Reuters) – A China Coast Guard vessel rammed a Philippine fishing boat on a resupply mission in the South China Sea on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard said, damaging its railings and deck structures in the latest confrontation between the two countries in disputed waters.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel BRP Datu Magat Salamat was on a mission to distribute fuel assistance to Filipino fishermen about 54 nautical miles off the coast of Palawan province when a China Coast Guard vessel carried out a series of dangerous manoeuvres and made contact with the Philippine ship, the coast guard said.
“The China Coast Guard deliberately rammed a civilian government vessel on a humanitarian and livelihood mission,” it said in a statement.
The collision, which happened at 11:13 a.m. (0313 GMT), bent, broke and detached sections of the vessel’s starboard-side railings, deformed metal stanchions and support structures, and displaced deck fixtures and equipment, leaving debris scattered across the deck, it added.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In July, Manila accused Beijing of firing water cannon at government vessels near the Scarborough Shoal and striking a Philippine Navy staff member on the head with a wooden baton during an encounter in the Second Thomas Shoal.
(Reporting by Nestor Corrales; Editing by David Stanway)
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