A Philippine flagged boat is blocked by a China Coast Guard vessel during an incident that resulted in a collision between the two vessels, in the disputed waters of the South China Sea in this screen grab obtained from handout video released October 22, 2023.
China Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry on Monday said a U.S. statement in which Washington sided with the Philippines regarding a collision between vessels in the South China Sea "disregarded the facts".
China and the Philippines traded accusations on Sunday over the collision in disputed waters of the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels blocked Philippine boats supplying forces there in the latest of a series of maritime confrontations.
In a statement on Sunday, the U.S. State Department said China's coast guard had "violated international law by intentionally interfering with the Philippine vessels' exercise of high seas freedom of navigation".
Maritime confrontations between Manila and Beijing have become a regular feature in the South China Sea, as both countries assert their territorial claims in the highly strategic waters.
Persons:
Mao Ning, China's, Mao, Thomas Shoal, Thomas, Liz Lee, Bernard Orr, Christopher Cushing, Miral
Organizations:
China Coast Guard, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Washington, U.S . State Department, Thomson
Locations:
Philippine, South, Rights BEIJING, U.S, Philippines, China, South China, United States, China's Nansha, Spratly Islands, Manila, Beijing