China, Philippines trade blame in latest South China Sea clash

BEIJING, China — China and the Philippines on Saturday accused each other of deliberately ramming their coast guard ships near a flashpoint shoal in the South China Sea, the latest in a spate of similar incidents in recent weeks.

Beijing claims almost all of the economically vital body of water despite competing claims from other countries and an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

A Chinese coast guard spokesperson said Saturday's incident took place off the disputed Sabina Shoal, which has emerged as a new hotspot in the long-running maritime confrontations between the two countries.

Sabina Shoal is located 140 kilometers (86 miles) west of the Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,200 kilometers from Hainan island, the nearest major Chinese landmass.

Shortly after noon (0400 GMT), a Philippine ship "deliberately collided with" a Chinese vessel near the shoal, known in Chinese as Xianbin, China Coast Guard spokesperson Liu Dejun said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

"China exercises indisputable sovereignty" in this zone, Liu said, condemning the "unprofessional and dangerous" conduct of the Philippine vessel.

However, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said it was the China Coast Guard vessel 5205 that "directly and intentionally rammed" the Philippines' ship, BRP Teresa Magbanua.

The vessel has been anchored inside Sabina Shoal since April to assert Manila's claim over the area.

Tarriela said the BRP Teresa Magbanua was rammed three times -- hitting the port bow, starboard quarter and port beam.

No crew members were injured during the incident but the ship's bridge wing and freeboard were damaged. A hole was also found.

"It is important for us to take note that this ramming happened despite... our unprovoked action and presence in Escoda Shoal," Tarriela told reporters, using the Filipino name for Sabina Shoal.

The United States, a strong ally of Manila that had raised the South China Sea in high-level bilateral talks this week in Beijing, slammed China for "dangerous and escalatory" actions near Sabina Shoal.

Washington called on China to "comport its claims and actions with international law and to