China, Philippines Lodge Protests Over Maritime Collisions In Disputed South China Sea

Manila summoned Beijing's ambassador and China lodged a complaint on Monday in a growing spat over two collisions between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the disputed South China Sea.

The countries have traded blame over Sunday's incidents near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, with both sides filing diplomatic protests and releasing videos to support their accusations.

The two collisions happened during a routine Philippine resupply mission to Filipino troops stationed on a navy vessel that was grounded on the shoal to assert Manila's territorial claims.

"We're making full use of diplomatic processes... available to us. That includes summoning the Chinese ambassador (Huang Xilian), which we did this morning," Philippine foreign ministry spokesperson Teresita Daza told reporters.

Daza said the ambassador was unavailable and was represented by his deputy chief of mission during the meeting.

Huang was last summoned to the foreign ministry in August after the China Coast Guard used water cannon on Philippine vessels near Second Thomas Shoal.

"Ayungin Shoal is part of our exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and we have sovereign rights and jurisdiction over it," Daza said, using the Philippine name for the shoal.

A Chinese diplomat made "solemn representations... expressing strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the trespassing" by Philippine vessels into the Ren'ai Reef area, China's embassy in Manila said, using China's name for the shoal.

The Philippines has accused a China Coast Guard vessel of "reckless manoeuvres" that led to a collision with a smaller wooden boat contracted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to deliver provisions to troops on the BRP Sierra Madre.

China said the "slight collision" happened after the resupply boat ignored "multiple warnings and deliberately passed through law enforcement in an unprofessional and dangerous manner", state broadcaster CCTV reported Sunday, citing the foreign ministry.

In another incident, a Philippine coastguard vessel escorting the resupply mission was "bumped" by what Manila has described as a "Chinese Maritime Militia vessel".

China, however, accused the Philippine boat of