Manila [Philippines], October 12 (ANI): The Philippines on Sunday accused China of 'deliberately' ramming a Philippine government vessel and causing minor damage near an island in a disputed area of the South China Sea.

The Philippine coastguard, in a statement, said a Chinese coastguard ship 'fired its water cannon' at the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, a vessel belonging to Manila's fisheries bureau and anchored off Thitu Island, which is known as Pag-asa Island in the Philippines, at 01:15 GMT on Sunday, as per a report in the Manila Times.

The news outlet further said, 'Three minutes later, the same Chinese vessel reportedly rammed the stern of the Datu Pagbuaya, causing minor damage but no injuries among the crew.'

According to Al Jazeera, Thitu Island is part of the Spratly Islands, where Beijing has sought to assert its sovereignty claims for years. The island known in China as Zhongye Island is the largest of nine islands, islets and reefs inhabited by Philippine forces in the Spratly Islands and also has a fishing community.

The Philippine coastguard chief, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, said the latest incident 'only strengthens' the resolve of Manila 'to not surrender a square inch of our territory to any foreign power'.

China dismissed the claims in a statement, blaming the Philippines for the collision.

Chinese coastguard spokesman Liu Dejun said the incident occurred when the Philippine ship 'ignored repeated stern warnings from the Chinese side, and dangerously approached' the other ship.

'Full responsibility lies with the Philippine side,' Liu said in an online statement cited by Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, warships of the Philippines, the United States and Canada conducted complex naval manoeuvres under Exercise SAMASAMA (Together) 2025, 'showcasing strengthened defence cooperation and seamless interoperability in regional waters,' the official news agency of the Philippines reported. (ANI)