China tells Philippines to return small boats

BEIJING—China has told the Philippines to return 25 small boats that were being towed by a Chinese fishing vessel in waters near the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said a Philippine warship’s propeller became entangled with the mooring rope of the unoccupied boats as they were being towed Tuesday.

Jiang said Thursday that China has “indisputable sovereignty” over the islands and that the Philippine naval action infringed on the rights of the fishermen.

A Philippine Navy official has apologized for the accident.

The Philippines is at loggerheads with China over the Spratly and Paracel Islands in the West Philippine Sea, which Beijing claims in its entirety on historical grounds.