Many disputes often occur at sea between neighboring nations, as it can be difficult to fully map out territories. A similar kind of dispute at the South China Sea ended poorly for China, as two of its military ships collided with each other as they tried to pursue a Philippine ship. The Philippine ship reported no such damage, but the other ships can’t say the same.
The videos display the two ships trying to block the pathway of what appears to be a Philippine coastguard ship. One of the ships is seen using a water cannon as well to push the boat away. Unfortunately for them, the attempt resulted in one of the ships slamming its bow into the other ship’s side. After this incident, the Philippine ship radioed the Chinese ships and asked if they needed assistance, but they didn’t reply.
This confrontation is a visible display of the current contention between China and the Philippines regarding the South China Sea. The sea is an important global waterway for the trading of natural resources. Over the years, China has been quite aggressive with other nations about these territories, seemingly claiming more and more as theirs. Other kinds of collisions and disputes have occurred before and will likely continue to happen.
The Philippines put the blame on China for what happened with their ships, and the recent commotion has even captured the U.S’s interest. Two American warships have begun patrolling the South China Sea to ensure the safety of its allies. Only time will tell if this helps lower tensions.
