BEIJING (AP) — Chinese coast guard ships used water cannon to block and ram a Philippine fishing vessel on Sunday in the disputed South China Sea, a region that has seen worrying hostilities at sea and in the air in recent weeks.

China and the Philippines have blamed each other for tense sea clashes off Sabina Reef, which has become a new flashpoint. Both countries have deployed coast guard vessels there on suspicion that one of the parties might take steps to take over the uninhabited atoll.

The Chinese coast guard said it took action against a Philippine ship that entered waters near Sabina and ignored warnings, resulting in a minor collision.

Chinese coast guard spokesman Gan Yu said the Philippine vessel approached the Chinese coast guard ship “unprofessionally” and “dangerously,” causing the two vessels to collide. The Philippine vessel had journalists on board who took photos to “distort facts,” he said.

“The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines. We strongly warn the Philippine side to stop the attacks and provocations immediately, otherwise it will have to bear all the consequences,” Gan said, without elaborating on the control measures taken by the Chinese side.

A Philippine government task force said a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel, the BRP Datu Sanday, en route to Sabina, “was subjected to aggressive and dangerous maneuvers by eight vessels of the People’s Republic of China,” resulting in engine failure and hampering the vessel’s efforts to supply diesel, food and medicine to Filipino fishermen.

The Chinese coast guard vessels, supported by a naval vessel, “conducted dangerous maneuvers that resulted in the ramming of the BFAR vessel, sounded horns and used water cannons against it,” endangering the crew, according to the Philippine task force monitoring the territorial dispute.

“The Philippine government calls on the People’s Republic of China to stop these provocative actions that endanger regional peace and security,” the task force said, adding that the Philippines would continue to stand up for its rights.

The United States expressed support for the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia. U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said in a statement posted on X that China’s actions were “unsafe, unlawful and aggressive” and had “disrupted a legitimate Philippine mission and put lives at risk – the latest in a series of dangerous actions.”

China is rapidly building up its military and increasingly pursuing its territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety. Tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, most notably with the Philippines, although the long-standing territorial disputes also involve other claimants, including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

The latest incident came days after Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels collided near the disputed Sabina Reef, known as Xianbin in Beijing and Escoda in Manila. Two Philippine vessels were damaged in Monday’s collision, but there were no reports of injuries.

Sabina Shoal is located about 140 kilometers west of the Philippine province of Palawan in the internationally recognized exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

Sabina is located near the Second Thomas Reef, another flashpoint where China has obstructed supplies to Philippine forces aboard a long-ground naval vessel. Last month, China and the Philippines agreed to prevent increasingly hostile confrontations at the Second Thomas Reef.

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