2 Chinese ships collide in South China Sea while chasing Philippine vessels
The authorities say it happened on Monday morning around the Scarborough Shoal, which is under China's effective control.
The authorities say three Philippine vessels including two Philippine Coast Guard ships were refueling a fishing boat when the Chinese government ships targeted them with a water cannon.
The Philippine ships escaped the attack while a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese Navy vessel collided.
The collision apparently rendered one of them unseaworthy.
The authorities say the Chinese side did not respond to offers of immediate medical and other support for those possibly injured on board.
A statement released later in the day by a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard did not mention the collision.
The statement says a convoy of Philippine vessels forced their way into waters around China's Scarborough Shoal under the pretense of supplying a fishing boat.
It says the Chinese side took necessary lawful steps, and that all on-site actions were professional, legitimate and legal.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has told reporters that the country will continue to defend its territory and that it will never back down.
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