Philippines Summons Chinese Envoy Following Sea Confrontations

The United States calls for Beijing to halt its 'dangerous and destabilising' actions in the disputed South China Sea after a Philippine boat and China Coast Guard ship collided near a contested reef.

Over the weekend, Chinese coast guard and suspected militia ships targeted Philippine vessels with water cannon blasts and rammed one of them, causing damage and endangering Filipino crew members off the Second Thomas Shoal and separately in the Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines.
The Philippines has summoned China's envoy, the foreign ministry said on Monday (Dec 11), following two days of confrontations between the countries' vessels in the disputed South China Sea.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including waters and islands near the shores of its neighbours, and has ignored an international tribunal ruling that its assertions have no legal basis.
The United States called on Sunday (Dec 10) for Beijing to halt its 'dangerous and destabilising' actions in the disputed South China Sea, after a Philippine boat and China Coast Guard ship collided near a contested reef.
Relations between Manila and Beijing have deteriorated under President Ferdinand Marcos, who has sought to improve ties with traditional ally Washington and push back against Chinese actions in the South China Sea.