China on Tuesday dispatched its new aircraft carrier 'Fujian' to the disputed South China Sea (SCS), amid growing maritime tensions with the Philippines over a disputed shoal leading to naval vessels of both countries colliding with each other to assert their claims.
Fujian, the third aircraft carrier of the Chinese navy, has not yet been officially operationalised. It has sailed into the South China Sea for testing and training, with its construction progressing as needed, the Defence Ministry here said on Tuesday.
The deployment of the Fujian, the most advanced of the three aircraft carriers, comes after the China Coast Guard (CCG) on Tuesday alleged that a Philippine government vessel deliberately rammed into one of its ships in Scarborough Shoal, a disputed territory that both countries claim.
China calls the shoal Huangyan Dao. China has already deployed some of its biggest CCG vessels in the area to assert its claims.
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.
CCG spokesperson Gan Yu said that over 10 Philippine official vessels "illegally" entered China's territorial waters near Huangyan Dao, and the CCG took control measures in accordance with the law, including warnings, navigation route control, and the use of water cannons against the Philippine vessels.
However, at around 10 a.m., one of the ships ignored multiple warnings from the Chinese side and deliberately rammed into a CCG ship in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, Gan said.
He claimed the Philippine side's intentional infringement and provocative actions are malicious in nature, adding that the Philippine side bears full responsibility for the collision, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The Philippines, backed by the US, is trying to assert its claims over the South China Sea based on the 2016 ruling by a tribunal of the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), endorsing its rights.
China, which had boycotted the tribunal, rejected its findings.
The collusion of the naval ships from both sides has become frequent in recent months.
After the allegations of collusion of the vessels, the Chinese defence ministry announced the deployment of the Fujian aircraft carrier, stating that it is for testing and training.
Fujian, which is stated to be the most advanced aircraft carrier possessing the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) similar to that of the American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, was launched in 2024. Since then, it has completed multiple sea trials. -- PTI
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