As local sources report, a Filipino fishing boat, that had 22 fishermen onboard, sank after being hit by an alleged Chinese vessel, in Reed Bank, in the South China Sea. Since the area of the incident is in the middle of disputes, the accident increased the already existent tension between the countries.
Specifically, the boat ‘F/B Gemver 1’ sank after being hit at Reed Bank off the western Philippine province of Palawan. The Chinese vessel, that reportedly caused the collision, hit and ran. Thus, the crew onboard the sinking vessel was saved from a nearby Vietnamese fish boat.
In addition, reports stated that the boat was anchored when it was hit.
Generally, the incident spiked a lot of attention and complaints from the Filipino side, as they accused China of deliberately hitting a Filipino vessel.
The South China Sea is a strategically important area that is claimed in whole or in part by China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Manila calls the area the West Philippine Sea, and an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in 2016 that it was in the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Following the incident, many protesters marched in Manila over China’s actions in the South China Sea and called on Filipinos to defend their country’s sovereignty.
