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Philippines seizes Chinese boat in South China Sea Vietnam and China ships 'collide in South China Sea'
(about 2 hours later)
Philippine police have seized a Chinese fishing boat and detained its 11 crew in disputed South China Sea waters. Vietnamese naval ships and Chinese vessels have collided in the South China Sea, Vietnamese officials say.
The boat was found near the disputed Spratly islands carrying 500 endangered sea turtles, reports say. The incident happened as the Vietnamese navy was trying to prevent the Chinese from setting up an oil rig in an area claimed by both nations.
China's foreign ministry called the action provocative and demanded the immediate release of the fishermen who have been taken to a Philippines port. No shots were fired, reports say. But Vietnamese officials said that water cannons were used on their ships.
This is the latest flare-up in a strategic area believed to be rich in natural resources. The incident is the most serious between the countries at sea in years, with dozens of boats now in the area.
China claims ownership of large parts of the South China Sea, including shoals and reefs, located off the coast of the Philippines. Vietnamese officials said on Wednesday that the Chinese ships intentionally rammed their vessels.
Neighbouring countries Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have competing claims with China in the region. Several sailors were injured, AP quoted one official as saying.
Vietnam and China are at odds over China's plan to move its first deep-water drilling rig into an area which Vietnam claims as its territory. Vietnamese maritime police official Ngo Ngoc Thu told media in Hanoi on Wednesday that Chinese boats had collided with Vietnamese vessels three times since 3 May.
A Vietnamese official told AP news agency that vessels from Vietnam and China collided in the area. There have been no reports of shots fired or injuries. Chinese officials said during a regular briefing on Wednesday that the oil rig was within China's territorial waters.
"The disruptive activities by the Vietnamese side are in violation of China's sovereign rights," Hua Chunying said.
The incident came as Philippine police seized a Chinese fishing boat and detained its 11 crew in another disputed part of the South China Sea on Wednesday.
The boat carrying "large numbers of endangered species" was seized "to enforce maritime laws and to uphold Philippine sovereign rights", the Philippine foreign ministry said in a statement.
'Armed men''Armed men'
China's foreign ministry called the action provocative and demanded the immediate release of the fishermen, who have been taken to a Philippine port.
The Chinese fishing boat was being towed to shore and charges would be brought against the crew members, a Philippine maritime official told Reuters news agency.The Chinese fishing boat was being towed to shore and charges would be brought against the crew members, a Philippine maritime official told Reuters news agency.
China's Xinhua state news agency said the fishing boat - named as Qiongqionghai 09063 - had been seized by an "unidentified armed vessel".China's Xinhua state news agency said the fishing boat - named as Qiongqionghai 09063 - had been seized by an "unidentified armed vessel".
"Several armed men forced themselves onto the boat and fired four or five shots in the air. They then took control of the boat," Xinhua said. "Several armed men forced themselves on to the boat and fired four or five shots in the air. They then took control of the boat," Xinhua said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily press briefing that it had demanded the Philippines release the boat and its crew. China claims ownership of large parts of the South China Sea, including shoals and reefs, located off the coast of the Philippines.
The Philippines and China have been embroiled in increasingly serious stand-offs in disputed areas of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, China and Taiwan all have competing claims in the region.
In 2012, the two nations had a tense standoff near the Scarborough Shoal, leading to protests and angry rhetoric on both sides.
The Philippines has also challenged China's territorial claims at a UN tribunal last year.
Last month, the Philippines and the US signed a new military pact to promote stability in the region. US President Barrack Obama said the deal was not intended to contain China, but he backed Manila's move to seek UN arbitration over its maritime dispute with Beijing.