A China Coast Guard vessel came within 1 meter (3 feet) of colliding with a Philippine Coast Guard ship attempting to block it in the South China Sea earlier this week, Manila said, in the latest incident in the disputed waterway.
The close call came Wednesday near Second Thomas Shoal, about 200 kilometers off the Philippine coast, as Manila was carrying out a resupply mission to an intentionally grounded World War II-era vessel that has served as its outpost in the disputed area since 1999.
Both Manila and Beijing lay claim to the area, and the incident was the latest in a series of interactions between the two sides that have intensified fears that their territorial disputes in the South China Sea could spark a larger crisis.