Chinese coast guard blocks Philippines patrol in tense stand-off

Hostilities peaked last Sunday morning in the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly archipelago, the most fiercely contested region in the busy sea channel. As the two patrol vessels approached the shoal's shallow turquoise waters for an underwater survey, the Chinese coast guard repeatedly warned them by radio to leave the area, which is about 194 kilometres west of the Philippine island province of Palawan. The crew of Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessel BRP Malabrigo rides a motor boat past China Coast Guard ship. AP After several radio exchanges, a Chinese coast guard caller, sounding agitated, warned of unspecified…