Philippines accuses China of ramming supply vessel in South China Sea

The Philippines has accused China of ramming a supply ship in the South China Sea, leading to engine failure. China claims that the Filipino vessel 'illegally' entered the area and deliberately collided with a Chinese ship.

The incident occurred near a disputed region where China is accused of building artificial islands. Both countries also reported a separate collision between their coast guard ships.

The Philippines has accused China of firing flares at one of its aircraft earlier this month, following an international tribunal ruling that China's claims in the South China Sea are illegitimate. The tensions in the region have escalated, with frequent confrontations involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei.

The Philippines has pursued transparency and alliance-building strategies to deter China, but the effectiveness of these approaches is being questioned.