Two Chinese vessels have rammed into each other after pursuing a Filipino patrol boat on Monday.
A Filipino spokesman confirmed that the incident, which took place near the Scarborough Shoal region, involved a Philippine coast guard vessel that was escorting boats distributing aid to fishermen in the area.
A Chinese coast guard ship and a large navy vessel bearing the number 164 on its hull can be seen colliding with a loud crash in a video released by Manila.
The crash is understood to have occurred after the Chinese vessel performed a "risky" manoeuvre, which led to the impact.
Facebook/Jay Tarriela/Philippine Coast Guard
|Two Chinese vessels have crashed into each other after chasing a Filipino patrol boat on Monday
The coast guard ship has sustained substantial damage and has been taken out of action, according to the spokesman.
Cdre Tarriela said: "The CCG 3104 [China coast guard vessel], which was chasing the BRP Suluan [Filipino coast guard vessel] at high speed, performed a risky manoeuvre from the [Filipino] vessel’s starboard quarter, leading to the impact with the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] navy warships.
"This resulted in substantial damage to the CCG vessel’s forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy.”
A Chinese coast guard spokesman also confirmed that a confrontation on Monday had taken place.
Facebook/Jay Tarriela/Philippine Coast Guard
|The crash took place near the Scarborough Shoal region
The statement read: "The China coast guard took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring, pressing from the outside, blocking and controlling the Philippine vessels to drive them away.”
The South China Sea has seen a number of collisions between the two nations, causing tensions to be high.
Beijing claims the territory despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.
The Philippines considers the disputed waterway to be part of its territory.
Facebook/Jay Tarriela/Philippine Coast Guard
|The disputed waterway has been a hot spot between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012
Philippine officials say that the vessels will continue to remain in the region, which sees more than 60 per cent of global maritime trade pass through.
The Scarborough Shoal has been a hot spot between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.
The president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, said the country’s patrol vessels would “continue to be present” in the area to defend, as well as exercise Manila’s sovereign rights over the territory.
It remains unknown if there were any injuries following Monday’s incident.