Chinese and Philippine Vessels โคClash in south China Sea
MANILA, Philippines (AP) – A confrontation โbetween Chineseโ and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea on Tuesday โคresulted in damage toโ aโ Philippine ship and injury to a crew member, escalatingโค tensions over โขthe โdisputed waterway.Theโฃ Philippine coast guard accused Chinese forcesโข of using powerful waterโฃ cannons againstโฃ its vessels while delivering supplies to Filipino โfishermen near Scarborough Shoal, โa contested area knownโค as Huangyanโ Islandโ inโ chinese.
The Philippine coast guard stated that two Chinese coast โguard ships targeted the BRP Datu Gumbay Piang with water cannons for nearly 30 minutes,โ causing “significant damage” to the ship’s captain’s cabin, bridge, and electrical systems. A shattered glass window injured a personnel on board. Together, a Chinese navy warship issued โa radio notice announcingโข “live-fireโค exercises” at theโ shoal, prompting alarm among Filipino fishermen in the vicinity.
China’s coast guard acknowledged deploying water cannons, claiming that moreโข than 10 Philippine government ships had entered waters around the shoal.
The incident occuredโ six days after China announced the designation of part of Scarborough Shoalโฃ as a national natureโฃ reserve, a move protested by the Philippines, which refers to the โshoal as Bajoโฃ de Masinloc.
Theโ South China Sea is a strategically vital region with valuable fishing grounds, and โคis subject to overlapping territorial claims from several โคcountries, including China and the Philippines. China asserts sovereignty over almost the โฃentire sea, aโ claim disputed by its neighbors.
The United States, the โฃUnited Kingdom, Australia, and canada have expressed concern over China’s actions.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the incident “yet another coercive move” by China to advance its claims in the region.The Canadian Embassy in the Philippinesโ stated its opposition to using environmental protection as a pretext for asserting control over โthe disputed shoal.
The philippine โขcoast guard and fisheries ships were providing aid-fuel, water, ice, and other supplies-to over 35 filipino fishing boats in the area at the time of the incident.