Philippine Coast Guard vessels encounter Chinese ships in South China Sea standoff

(MENAFN) On Monday, a tense maritime confrontation occurred in the South China Sea, as two Philippine Coast Guard vessels were allegedly surrounded by Chinese ships, escalating tensions between the Philippines and China.

The incident, reported by the media sources, involved Philippine Coast Guard ships conducting a routine patrol 25 to 30 nautical miles east of Scarborough Shoal, within the area Manila designates as the West Philippine Sea. Chinese vessels allegedly blocked the Philippine ships, creating a confrontation.

SeaLight, an initiative monitoring maritime activities in the region, brought the confrontation to wider attention. As of now, neither Chinese nor Philippine authorities have officially commented on the reported incident.

This latest encounter underscores the ongoing dispute over territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea, where overlapping claims by various nations continue to fuel regional tensions and distrust.

MENAFN24032025000045017169ID1109348825