China’s military said late Sunday that a Philippine naval vessel had “illegally entered” the claimed territorial waters of Scarborough Shoal, a key flash point in the disputed South China Sea.
The Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command said it had organized navy vessels to track, monitor, warn and drive away the Philippine vessel, which it identified as the Apolinario Mabini corvette.
The two countries have repeatedly butted heads over the South China Sea, usually with their respective coast guards. But Sunday's incident was a rare instance involving the militaries of both countries, and it came amid fears that a clash or accident could erupt into a full-blown conflict.
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