Chinese water cannon damages vessel in fresh South China Sea dispute, as per Philippines.
Coast Guard of the Philippines reported an incident when their ship and a patrol vessel from their Fisheries Agency were on a routine inspection near Scarborough Shoal, a Chinese-controlled area located 200 kilometers west of the Philippine mainland. The shoal is within Manila's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed two large Chinese vessels firing water cannons from both sides of the Filipino ship. Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Defense Spokesperson, in a statement mentioned that their ships faced "dangerous maneuvers and obstruction" from four Chinese Coast Guard vessels and six Chinese Maritime Militia vessels.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that their ship suffered "damage to the railing and canopy" due to the incident, but fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The China Coast Guard issued a statement saying they sent the Filipino ships out of the area for "intruding" into the waters, as per Chinese law.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, defying an international ruling on this matter. In the last two decades, it has taken control of numerous reefs and atolls beyond its shoreline, constructing military installations including airfields and ports.
Scarborough Shoal, which China names Huangyan Island and is also known as Bajo de Masinloc, is a small reef and a rich fishing ground. While there are no structures on the shoal, since 2012 the Chinese Coast Guard has been continuously stationed around it per the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
On Tuesday, the Philippines revealed that China had reinstalled a 380-meter floating barrier that "covers the entire entrance of the shoal" and effectively blocks off the area.
Scarborough Shoal has been a source of ongoing territorial conflicts between China and the Philippines, along with several other islands and reefs in the South China Sea.
In March, the Philippine Coast Guard was attacked by Chinese vessels when they attempted to resupply troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, 125 miles from the Philippine island of Palawan. To stake their claim to the area, Filipino forces had grounded an old transport ship on the shoal since the 90s.
The China Coast Guard announced on Weibo that it had enforced the law by taking "control measures" against the Philippine vessels, claiming they illegally entered the waters surrounding Ren'ai Reef, another name for Second Thomas Shoal.
Prior to this, Chinese water cannons damaged a Philippine resupply boat headed for Second Thomas Shoal, breaking windows and injuring four Filipino sailors.
Tensions have been escalating between China and the Philippines since the 2022 election of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has taken a stronger stance against Beijing than his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.
The Philippines and the United States share a mutual defense treaty. The U.S. has stated that the treaty applies to Filipino vessels operating in the disputed waterway.
The most recent events have brought concerns of a possible further escalation and a potential broader conflict, as the Philippines has close ties with the United States.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
