A Philippine boat and a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided near a hotly contested reef on Sunday, with both countries trading blame for the latest such confrontation in the disputed South China Sea.  

The incident happened during a Philippine resupply mission to a tiny garrison on Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, which is a flashpoint for Manila and Beijing. 

It comes a day after the Philippines accused the Chinese coast guard of using water cannons to "obstruct" three government boats delivering provisions to Filipino fishermen near Scarborough Shoal, off the main island of Luzon. 

Longstanding tensions between Manila and Beijing over the hotly contested sea have flared in recent months following several incidents involving Philippine and Chinese vessels, including two previous collisions.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea and has ignored an international tribunal ruling that its claims have no legal basis. 

It deploys boats to patrol the busy waterway and has built artificial islands that it has militarised to reinforce its claims.

The Philippine Coast Guard said a Philippine boat carrying provisions was "rammed" by a Chinese coast guard ship during Sunday's resupply mission. 

Jay Tarriela, the coast guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said on social media platform X that a Chinese ship also "water cannoned" three Philippine vessels, causing "serious engine damage" to one of the boats.

The China Coast Guard, however, accused the Philippine boat of "deliberately colliding" with the Chinese vessel after "disregarding our multiple stern warnings".

The Philippine boat "changed direction suddenly in an unprofessional, dangerous manner, deliberately colliding with our Coast Guard Vessel 21556, which was on a normal law enforcement route, and caused a scrape", the China Coast Guard said in a statement.

Escalating tensions