Collision near Sabina Shoal sparks fresh escalation between China and the Philippines

China and the Philippines exchanged blame over a clash on Friday in disputed waters in the China-sea" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8346" data-entity-type="location">South China Sea, further fuelling tensions over the strategic waterway that has become a dangerous regional flashpoint.In a brief statement released on Friday afternoon, China’s coastguard accused a Philippine vessel of deliberately ramming a Chinese patrol vessel near the contested Sabina Shoal.“Philippine vessel No 3015 intentionally adjusted its course and suddenly accelerated to cut across the bow of the Chinese coastguard vessel, resulting in a collision,” said Jiang Lue, a Chinese coastguard spokesman.Manila’s actions “severely violated international law and basic norms governing international relations, endangering the safety of Chinese vessels and personnel”, Jiang added.