Philippines accuses China Coast Guard of firing water cannon at its boats
China Sea, describing the actions as «illegal» and «dangerous». China said it had taken «necessary controls» against Philippines boats that had «illegally» entered its waters. Beijing claims almost all of the sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, and has ignored a 2016 international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
The latest incident took place as the Philippine Coast Guard escorted boats carrying food, water, fuel and other supplies for Filipino military personnel stationed at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. In a statement, the US State Department condemned the Chinese actions, saying they were carried out by the coast guard and «maritime militia», and that they directly threatened regional peace and stability. Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass of Hainan island.
China's coast guard and navy vessels routinely block or shadow Philippine ships patrolling the contested waters, Manila says. Saturday's incident was the first time since November 2021 that the Chinese coast guard had used water cannon against a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal. «The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) strongly condemns the China Coast Guard's (CCG) dangerous manoeuvres and illegal use of water cannons against the PCG vessels,» the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement.
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