(Changes dateline)
MANILA, June 12 (Reuters) - The Philippines on Wednesday
denounced the crew of a Chinese fishing boat that collided with
a Philippine vessel and left 22 Filipino fishermen abandoned in
the disputed South China Sea.
The collision took place near the Reed Bank on Sunday, the
defence ministry said, adding that a Vietnamese fishing boat
rescued all the fishermen.
"We denounce the actions of the Chinese fishing vessel for
immediately leaving the incident scene, abandoning the 22
Filipino crewmen to the mercy of the elements," Defence
Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement.
Reuters could not independently verify the Philippine
account of the collision. China's foreign ministry did not
immediately respond to requests for comment.
China, which claims nearly all of the South China Sea, has
been accused of using thousands of fishing boats as a militia
and de facto extension of its foreign policy.
The Reed Bank contains offshore gas reserves that both
countries claim ownership of, despite it being located within
the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Both countries say they are seeking ways to jointly tap
those deposits.
Despite a long history of rows with China over the South
China Sea, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has pursued
warmer ties with Beijing in exchange for billions of pledged
loans and investment.
An international arbitration panel in 2016 ruled the
Philippines had sovereign rights to exploit the resources at
Reed Bank. China did not recognise the case or the verdict.