Tensions between China and the Philippines flared again Tuesday when Chinese Coast Guard ships fired water cannons at Philippine vessels near Scarborough Shoal, damaging a fisheries ship and injuring a crew member, in the latest confrontation over the disputed South China Sea outcrop.
China's Coast Guard said more than 10 Philippine government vessels "illegally invaded China's territorial waters of the Scarborough Shoal from different directions," accusing Philippine ship 3014 of having "deliberately rammed a Chinese coast guard vessel" after disregarding repeated warnings. "The China coast guard lawfully implemented control measures against the Philippine ships," spokesperson Gan Yu said, citing verbal warnings, route restrictions, and water cannon fire as the steps taken.
Video released by Chinese state media appeared to show the Philippine vessel making contact with a Chinese ship's deck railing while being blasted with water cannon. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) denied Beijing's account, accusing China of harassment during what it said was a humanitarian mission to deliver fuel, water, and supplies to more than 35 fishing boats operating at the shoal, known locally as Bajo de Masinloc.
The PCG said two Chinese Coast Guard ships used water cannons for nearly 30 minutes, shattering a glass window in the captain's cabin, causing a short circuit that knocked out power to several air-conditioning units, and injuring one crew member. A Chinese Navy vessel also issued a radio warning announcing "live-fire exercises" near the shoal, which the Philippines said caused panic among local fishermen.
The incident came just six days after Beijing announced it was designating part of Scarborough Shoal - known in China as Huangyan Island - as a national nature reserve, prompting Manila to lodge a diplomatic protest. Analysts said the move was intended to strengthen China's de facto control over the feature, which has been a flashpoint for nearly a decade.
"Another coercive move to advance sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea at the expense of its neighbors," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement backing the Philippines. The U.K., Australia, and Canada also expressed concern, with Canada warning against using environmental protection "as a way to take control over the disputed Scarborough Shoal."
Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks roughly 150 square kilometers in area, sits about 120 nautical miles from the Philippine coast and is a prime fishing ground. It has been under Chinese control since a 2012 standoff but lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone as defined by a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which found China's sweeping maritime claims have no basis in international law - a ruling Beijing has rejected.
