Combat sailors from the Philippine Navy and the Vietnam People's Navy held a day-long sports fest at the disputed Spratly Islands in what some military analysts see as a sign of the closer cooperation between both navies that are leading the fight against Chinese hegemony in the disputed South Sea.

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The South Sea and not the South China Sea is China's historic name for the sea it now claims. Western cartographers gave the South Sea the name South China Sea.

Vietnamese and Filipino sailors played football, volleyball and tug of war today (Sunday) on the Vietnamese-occupied Southwest Cay Island in the Spratlys. Sailors from each country also performed in cultural shows.

The Philippine Navy said the friendly competition was joined by 40 of its sailors. The Filipinos gave their Vietnamese allies traditional Filipino delicacies such as Filipino rice cakes.

The sports fest, the first of its kind between both allies in the disputed South Sea, was held amid rising tensions caused by China's unremitting actions to control the South Sea.

Vietnam and the Philippines are discussing ways to cooperate and to ease tensions in the disputed waters.

The Philippines also claims Southwest Cay Island. The island was occupied by Filipino soldiers until the Vietnamese forced them out in the 1970s. The Filipino name for Southwest Cay Island is "Pugad," a Filipino word meaning nest.

The Philippine Navy took pains to highlight the non-confrontational nature of the friendly games.

Philippine Navy spokesman Lt. Cdr. Gregory Gerald Fabic said both countries are trying to set an example.

"We want to show that there can be other approaches to the disputes that can in fact ease the tensions."

A statement from both navies said the event sought to foster camaraderie and friendly relations between the two nations and was proof that disputes do not hinder development of practical and tangible cooperation.

"This also serves as a model of cooperation for the other navies to emulate."

Southwest Cay, whose Vietnamese name is Đảo Song Tử Tây, is an islet in the northern edge of Spratly Islands. It has an area of 12 hectares, making it the sixth largest island in the Spratlys and the second largest among the Vietnamese-occupied islands.

Southwest Cay is also claimed by China and the Republic of China or Taiwan.

Tagsspratlys, Vietnam, maritime dispute