China calls sinking of Philippine boat an ‘ordinary maritime accident’ 0 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy Agence France-PresseThe sinking of a Filipino fishing boat by a suspected Chinese trawler in disputed waters was described by Beijing Thursday as an ordinary maritime accident after Manila accused the alleged Chinese crew of acting inhuman for fleeing the scene. The Philippine defense department said Wednesday a suspected Chinese boat had collided with a Filipino craft anchored near Reed Bank in the South China Sea, causing it to sink and leaving 22 crewmen to their fate. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Thursday called the incident “an ordinary maritime traffic accident”, and said China was still investigating. Although Duterte has largely set aside the bitter dispute with Beijing over the resource-rich South China Sea, Manila does sometimes protest against Chinese action.

Source: Manila Bulletin June 14, 2019 10:52 UTC