Chinese authorities deploy water cannon against more than a dozen Filipino vessels
In a recent development, the Chinese Coast Guard has accused Philippine ships of illegally invading Chinese territorial waters surrounding the Scarborough Shoal from various directions. This incident marks the latest episode in the long-standing dispute over sovereignty and fishing access in the South China Sea.
Yesterday's encounter involved more than 10 Philippine ships, which were engaged in a mission to resupply Philippine fishing boats at the shoal. However, they encountered 'aggressive actions' by nine Chinese vessels, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
Chinese Coast Guard spokesman, Gan Yu, stated that the Chinese side issued verbal warnings, imposed route restrictions, and even used water cannon spraying against the Philippine ships. Gan Yu specifically faulted Philippine Coast Guard vessel 3014 for disregarding solemn warnings from the Chinese side and deliberately ramming a Chinese coast guard vessel.
In response, a spokesperson for the Philippine Maritime Council dismissed China's statement about taking control measures as 'another case of Chinese disinformation and propaganda.' The Philippine Coast Guard, on the other hand, accused the Chinese Coast Guard of harassing vessels they claimed were on a humanitarian mission to support fishers.
The incident was photographed by AFP / Philippine Coast Guard, showing the Chinese Coast Guard firing water cannons at Philippine ships near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, also known as Huangyan Island, 黃岩島, in the South China Sea.
This latest incident comes a week after China approved plans to turn the Scarborough Shoal into a national nature reserve, a move that analysts interpret as an attempt to take the moral high ground in the dispute over the atoll.
It's worth noting that unresolved disputes have festered for years over the ownership of various islands and features in the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Despite the ongoing tension, there have been no incidents that have escalated into armed conflict. Defense analysts have warned that this move could test Manila's response over the 150km2 triangular chain of reefs and rocks known as the Scarborough Shoal.
The Philippine government, however, is responsible for the plan to convert Scarborough Shoal into a national nature reserve. The dispute over the Scarborough Shoal is part of a broader contest over sovereignty and fishing access in the South China Sea.
Both sides continue to accuse each other of provocations and trespassing in incidents involving water cannon, boat-ramming, and maneuvers by the Chinese Coast Guard. As the standoff continues, it remains to be seen how this latest incident will impact the ongoing dispute and the future of the South China Sea.
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