A CHINESE vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea today, China’s coastguard said.

The coastguard that said a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands.

They accused the Philippine craft of ignoring “repeated solemn warnings and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision.”