A Chinese coast guard ship came within a few feet of a Philippine vessel it was trying to block in the disputed South China Sea, signaling a more forceful approach by Beijing in the strategic waterway where tensions are growing.
Philippine vessels were attempting to resupply a small detachment of marines on the isolated Second Thomas Shoal when the incident occurred on Wednesday. China also claims the reef, as it does for much of the South China Sea.
The Philippine coast guard, which reported new details of the confrontation Friday, said that four Chinese coast guard ships showed up to disrupt their mission, along with five ships belonging to the Chinese fishing militia. One of the Chinese coast guard ships came as close as about three feet to a Philippine coast guard vessel, Manila said, publishing a video of the incident. The Chinese carried out eight maneuvers the Philippines described as dangerous.
Tensions are high in the disputed waters where China and the Philippines, along with other nations, have overlapping territorial and maritime claims. China’s coast guard regularly tries to block the Philippine convoys—which consist of civilian boats crewed by the Philippine navy and coast guard ships—from reaching Second Thomas Shoal.
Last week, the Philippine coast guard said it cut a buoy barrier China had erected at a disputed coral atoll. China’s coast guard pointed a military-grade laser at a Philippine ship in February and sprayed a water cannon at another in a separate encounter in August.
The most recent incident highlights the threat of escalation from such confrontations involving Chinese ships in the South China Sea. The encounter will be monitored in the U.S., a Philippine ally, amid tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The Philippine coast guard also said Friday that for the first time during a resupply mission, a Chinese navy ship came as close as half a nautical mile from a Philippine coast guard vessel. A Chinese military aircraft was surveilling the area and left when the Philippine contingent arrived near Second Thomas Shoal, it said.
The large Chinese presence is an example of what security analysts call “cabbage tactics” that involve many layers of Chinese forces at varying distances and with different degrees of involvement. While the coast guard and maritime militia asserted China’s claims directly, a navy ship circled at a distance. Despite China’s efforts, the Philippine vessels were able to deliver the supplies, Manila said.
On Wednesday, China’s coast guard said four Philippine vessels had tried to illegally enter the waters around Second Thomas Shoal, which it said belongs to China. The Chinese coast guard issued warnings to the Philippine vessels and “effectively regulated” them, it said.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office 15 months ago, has more strongly objected to Chinese actions in the South China Sea and doubled down on his nation’s alliance with Washington. The Philippines has also adopted a policy of calling Chinese actions out publicly with statements, photos and videos, aiming to expose what it sees as China’s bullying.
Over the past decade, Beijing has attempted to shift the balance of power in the South China Sea. It built artificial islands in the disputed waterway and converted them into military bases. Its vast coast guard and fishing militia fleets maintain a constant presence at contested sites and patrol the waters widely, enforcing China’s claims. Countries like the Philippines, which have a fraction of China’s resources and ships, struggle to match that presence.
The Philippines faces a major challenge in resupplying its marines on Second Thomas Shoal. The men are stationed on a rusting World War II-era ship called the BRP Sierra Madre, which the Philippines ran aground in 1999 to assert its claims to the reef. China opposes the ship’s presence and attempts to block the Philippines from supplying food, water and other provisions to its crew.
Write to Niharika Mandhana at niharika.mandhana@wsj.com