Two ships had collided in disputed waters: 'Must be resolved through peaceful means'

According to a statement from the Philippine Presidential Office, Marcos Jr. spoke about the tension in the disputed waters during his visit to the Western Command, which is tasked with overseeing the South China Sea.

Marcos Jr. stated that the soldiers acted with "restraint in the face of intense provocation" and expressed that they prefer to resolve disputes through peaceful means rather than war.

A Philippine supply ship and a Chinese vessel collided on June 17 in the disputed region between the two countries in the South China Sea.

In a statement from the China Coast Guard, it was claimed that the Philippine supply ship "illegally entered" the waters near the Second Thomas Shoal and "caused the collision" by approaching Chinese vessels in a dangerous manner.

The Second Thomas Shoal, which is part of the Spratly Islands and under the control of the Philippines, is at the center of sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea and has recently been the scene of friction and tensions where ships from the two countries have faced off.

The Beijing administration states that the Sierra Madre warship, which is grounded on the reef, is in the region illegally and demands its withdrawal and the restoration of the reef to its original state.

The China Coast Guard's attempts to block supply missions intended to meet the needs of the sailors on the ship at the reef are escalating tensions between the countries.

In the most recent tension between the two countries, the Philippines alleged that some of the aid packages dropped by air on May 19 for the personnel on its ship grounded in the South China Sea were seized by China.

China, on the other hand, claimed at the beginning of this month that the Philippines had cut and removed nets set up by Chinese fishermen around the reef.

News Source: AA