The Philippine government accused Chinese vessels of ramming and using water cannon against its ship Sunday near a disputed reef in the South China Sea.
"The CCG (China Coast Guard) vessels made close perilous manoeuvres that resulted in ramming, blasted horns, and deployed water cannons against the BFAR (Philippine fisheries) vessel, eventually leading to the latter's engine failure," said a government statement detailing the incident near Sabina Shoal.