South China Sea Crisis: Philippines Condemns Chinese Water Cannon Attack Near Disputed Shoal
South China Sea Crisis: Philippines Condemns Chinese Water Cannon Attack Near Disputed Shoal
Tensions in the South China Sea escalated sharply on Tuesday following a maritime confrontation near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, with the Philippines accusing China’s coast guard of using powerful water cannons against its vessels, causing damage and injuring a crew member.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that two Chinese coast guard ships unleashed water cannons for approximately 30 minutes on the Filipino fisheries vessel, BRP Datu Gumbay Piang. The assault resulted in significant damage, including a shattered window in the captain’s cabin that injured a personnel, and a short circuit affecting electrical systems and air-conditioning units.
In contrast, China’s coast guard claimed a Philippine ship deliberately rammed one of its vessels, asserting that over ten Philippine government ships had entered the waters around the shoal, known as Huangyan island in Chinese, prompting their deployment of water cannons.
The incident occurred just six days after China declared part of Scarborough Shoal a national nature reserve, a move met with a diplomatic protest from Manila, which refers to the shoal as Bajo de Masinloc. Further escalating fears, a Chinese navy warship reportedly broadcast a radio notice announcing “live-fire exercises” at the shoal, causing panic among Filipino fishermen who were receiving aid from the Philippine vessels.
The clash underscores the ongoing and volatile territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a strategically vital waterway claimed almost entirely by China, with several nations, including the Philippines, having competing claims. International condemnation of China’s actions has been swift, with the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it “yet another coercive move.” The U.K., Australia, and Canada have also voiced concerns, with Canada specifically opposing the use of environmental protection as a pretext for asserting control over the disputed area.
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