China’s coastguard says it has expelled Philippine vessels from waters around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea while Manila reports a collision in the confrontation.

The Philippine boats were intercepted on Monday after they ignored warnings in an operation China’s coastguard said was “professional, standardised, legitimate and legal”.

The incident is the latest in a series of confrontations between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, which Beijing claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim parts of the contested waters .

“The China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including mo

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