BEIJING, Jan 23 — The Chinese Coast Guard said today it dispatched two vessels to rescue 21 Philippine crew members in a foreign cargo ship that capsized near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

The coast guard said it received a report of the incident at 1.34am today. Thirteen people have been saved so far while search-and-rescue efforts were continuing, it said in a statement, which did not identify the ship’s owner.

The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Scarborough Shoal is one of Asia’s most contested maritime features and a frequent flashpoint in disputes over sovereignty and fishing rights.

On Tuesday, the Chinese military said it organised naval and air forces to drive away a Philippine government aircraft that it accused of “illegally intruding” into airspace over the atoll.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. — Reuters