China’s coast guard fired a water cannon at a Philippine government fisheries vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Thursday, according to Philippine officials, marking the latest confrontation between the two countries as regional leaders gathered for ASEAN meetings in Manila.
The Philippine Coast Guard said the Chinese vessel scored an indirect hit on a Philippine fisheries ship engaged in what Manila described as a humanitarian mission.
Philippines Condemns Incident
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said the Chinese vessel’s actions endangered Filipino personnel and breached international maritime rules.
“These actions violated the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) and endangered Filipino personnel engaged in a purely humanitarian undertaking,” Tarriela said in a post on X.
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The incident occurred while Southeast Asian foreign ministers were meeting in Manila for ASEAN summits attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
China Defends Its Actions
Earlier on Thursday, China’s Coast Guard said it had tracked, intercepted and driven away two Philippine vessels that it accused of illegally entering waters near Scarborough Shoal despite repeated warnings.
Beijing said its actions were “standard, professional and lawful” and urged Manila to stop what it described as “infringing and provocative actions.”
China reiterated its sovereignty claim over the disputed feature, which it calls Huangyan Dao.
Tensions Continue to Rise
Scarborough Shoal remains one of the most heavily contested maritime features in the South China Sea, with both China and the Philippines claiming sovereignty.
The latest confrontation comes just days after another incident at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, where both sides accused each other of dangerous actions during an encounter involving coast guard and naval vessels.
The dispute has dominated discussions on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings this week, with both countries lodging diplomatic protests.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned Manila on Wednesday that it would face “bitter consequences of its own making” if it continued what Beijing sees as provocative actions backed by outside powers.
The back-to-back confrontations highlight the growing tensions in the South China Sea despite ongoing diplomatic engagement between China, the Philippines and other regional partners.
With information from Reuters.
