Beijing slams ‘harassment’ after Manila challenges research ship near Batanes

China and the Philippines have launched a war of words after their coastguards challenged each other in the waters off the Batanes Islands, an area that has become the latest maritime flashpoint as Beijing ramps up pressure against Manila-Tokyo delimitation efforts. The Philippine coastguard said on Thursday it had sent one of its biggest vessels and an aircraft to “disrupt and drive away” a Chinese research ship – the Jia Hai Ke 7 – which has been operating in the waters off the islands over...