Aug. 26 (UPI) – The Philippines and China have once again clashed in the South China Sea. Manila and Beijing are accusing the two neighbors of being responsible for the latest naval skirmish in the fight for sovereignty over the disputed waters.

The incident occurred on Sunday in the Spratly Islands, a disputed archipelago claimed by the Philippines and China, among several other Asian states.

The Philippines accused China of ramming a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel, causing engine failure. The ship was on a “humanitarian mission” to supply Filipino fishermen.

It said eight Chinese navy and coast guard ships attempted to “encircle and block” the humanitarian mission and carried out “aggressive and dangerous maneuvers.”

The Chinese ships honked their horns and used water cannons, it said. The collision led to the “premature termination of the humanitarian operation.”

“These unprofessional, aggressive and illegal actions posed a serious risk to the safety of the Filipino crew and the fishermen they were meant to serve,” Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said in a statement.

The Philippine Coast Guard posted short clips of the incident on its account X, showing Chinese Coast Guard vessels ramming the Manila ship and firing water cannons at it.

In a separate statement, the Chinese coast guard accused the Philippine ship of “illegally entering waters” without the permission of the Chinese government, Beijing claims.

It said the Manila-based ship had ignored China’s “stern warning” and accused China of colliding with the Chinese coast guard ship.

“The responsibility rested entirely with the Philippines,” said Gan Yu, spokesman for the Chinese coast guard, in a statement posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo. “We call on the Philippines to immediately stop the violations and provocations, otherwise the Philippines will have to bear all the consequences arising from them.”

The Philippines rejected China’s portrayal of the incident and reposted a video on its account X showing that the Beijing-based ship was responsible for the ramming.

“It is the PRC that is encroaching on our exclusive economic zone. Escoda Shoal is within our exclusive economic zone, while your claim to Xianbin Jao exists only in the imagination of the Chinese Communist Party,” Tarriela said in a second statement, referring to the initials of China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.

“The only reason you are demanding the withdrawal of our vessel from Escoda Reef is because you are obviously conducting illegal activities that are damaging our marine environment.”

Several ambassadors to the Philippines defended their host country, including Ambassador MaryKay Carlson of the United States, a country that has repeatedly pledged its support to Manila in the protracted conflict.

“Unsafe, unlawful and aggressive behavior by the PRC has disrupted a legitimate (Philippine) mission and put lives at risk – the latest in numerous dangerous actions by the PRC,” Carlson said in a statement on X. “We stand steadfastly with our (Philippine allies).”

Several Asian states lay claim to the waters of the Spratly Islands, with the dispute between the Philippines and China being the most heated and intensifying since 2023 as Beijing asserts its influence over the South China Sea, much of which it claims through its nine-dash-line maps, which have been rejected by several states, including the United States. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague also ignored the maps in a 2016 ruling.

In July, the Philippines and China signed an agreement aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries in the disputed waters.

But Sunday’s incident came about a week after Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels collided in the disputed waters, days after China fired flares at a Manila-based observation flight, and three weeks ago there was also a confrontation between the two countries’ air forces over the Chinese-occupied but disputed Scarborough Reef.