The Philippines accuses China of firing a water cannon at a ship in the South China Sea. China said the ship “illegally” entered territorial waters. Only “regulations” were made.
The Philippines have accused the Chinese Coast Guard of firing a water cannon on a Philippine ship in the South China Sea. “The Philippine Coast Guard strongly condemns the Chinese Coast Guard’s dangerous maneuvers and illegal use of water cannons,” the Philippine authorities said. A military spokesman added that a second boat was unable to unload its cargo because of the “excessive and offensive” action.
China: “Necessary Regulations”
China accused the Philippine boats of “illegally” entering Chinese territorial waters. The incident happened on Saturday when the Philippine Coast Guard was escorting boats carrying food, water, fuel and other supplies to a Philippine Navy base in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
The statement said that only “necessary regulations” had been made after “two repair ships and two ships of the Philippine Coast Guard” entered the waters around the “China’s Nansha Islands”. The coast guard stopped the Philippine ships with “illegal building materials on board,” said coast guard spokesman Gan Yu.
The US State Department said China’s actions directly endangered peace and stability in the region.
Dispute over claims to the sea area
China claims practically the entire South China Sea for itself. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also lay claim to parts of the sea area, which is of enormous strategic and economic importance for the neighboring countries. Chinese Coast Guard and Navy boats regularly pursue or blockade Filipino vessels in the area, Manila said. However, Saturday’s incident was the first of its kind since November 2021.