China has demanded the Philippines release a Chinese fishing boat and its crew seized in the disputed South China Sea on Wednesday, the latest flare-up in the oil and gas-rich waters that are claimed wholly or in part by six nations.
Tensions are also brewing in another part of the sea, where China has warned Vietnam not to disturb activities of Chinese companies operating near disputed islands. Earlier, Hanoi condemned the movement of a giant Chinese oil rig into what it said was its territorial waters.
Dozens of patrol boats and other navy and coast guard vessels from both countries were in the area, Vietnamese officials say. Some collisions had taken place, a navy official said without giving details, but they appeared to be minor.