Filipino vessel 'sideswiped' by China Coast Guard

The Philippines says the China Coast Guard has fired water cannon and "sideswiped" a government vessel in the South China Sea.

The incident happened near the disputed Scarborough Shoal and Beijing said it acted "in accordance with the law".

The US ambassador to the Philippines condemned China's "unlawful use of water cannons and dangerous manoeuvres".

The South China Sea is at the centre of a territorial dispute between China, the Philippines and other countries. But tensions between Manila and Beijing have sharply escalated in the last year.

This is the latest in a string of dangerous encounters in the last year as the two sides seek to enforce their claims on disputed reefs and outcrops in the South China Sea, including the Second Thomas Shoal and the Scarborough Shoal.

The collisions usually arise from the cat-and-mouse games the boats engage in, as they attempt to chase the other side away.

China has increasingly blasted powerful water cannon and lasers at Philippine ships, with the Filipinos also accusing the Chinese of boarding their boats, leading to scuffles, as well as confiscating items and puncturing their inflatable vessels.