China and the Philippines have long disputed territory in the South China Sea. Now two coast guard ships collided.
And there were attacks with water cannons. The background is disputes over territory. China claims virtually the entire South China sea for itself. But other countries, including the Philippines, also claim parts of the sea area. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague declared some of the Chinese claims to be unlawful in 2016. However, Beijing does not recognize the verdict and now accused the Philippines of illegally entering Chinese waters.