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 counterclaims.
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 and navigation route control.