Manila, Philippines — A Chinese Coast Guard vessel backed by a naval vessel fired powerful water cannons and intercepted and attacked a Philippine patrol boat on a disputed reef in the South China Sea on Wednesday, a Philippine official said.
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Mary Kay Carlson criticized China’s “illegal use of water cannons and dangerous operations” in a social media post, accusing China of “putting lives at risk” by interfering with maritime operations in the Philippines.
“We condemn these actions and stand with like-minded friends, partners and allies in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Prime Minister Carlson said.
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as its territory, but its claims overlap with the territorial waters, exclusive economic zone, and high seas claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Indonesia has also clashed with China’s coast guard, which supports Beijing’s fishing boats.
Aaron Favila/NTF-WPS via AP
The long-simmering territorial dispute between China and its allies and other Asian countries is a sensitive fault line in the regional rivalry between Washington and Beijing. The United States does not claim any sovereignty over the South China Sea, a key global shipping route, but has declared that freedom of navigation and overflight and peaceful resolution of disputes are among its core national interests.
The United States warned: We have a duty to defend the Philippines.If Philippine forces are attacked in the South China Sea, they will become treaty allies.
China and Philippines are claiming maritime aggression against each other
Three Philippine Coast Guard and Fisheries Department vessels were on routine patrol to protect Philippine fishermen at Scarborough Shoal when several Chinese Coast Guard and Navy vessels approached after dawn and took aggressive action, the Philippine Coast Guard said. .
Chinese Coast Guard spokesman Liu Dejun said four Philippine vessels “dangerously approached” the Coast Guard’s “general law enforcement patrol vessel,” allowing Chinese troops to “exercise control” around Scarborough Shoal, which China claims as its territory. ‘He said he did. Call Huang Yen Island.
Liu said one of the Philippine vessels ignored warnings and made a maneuver that “seriously jeopardized” the safety of the Coast Guard vessel.
“We warn the Philippines to immediately stop the violations, provocations and propaganda,” he said. “Otherwise, the Philippines will be responsible for all consequences.”
China has increasingly accused the Philippines and other Asian neighbors of violating its sovereignty in disputed areas. Despite an international arbitration decision in 2016 invalidating China’s historic claim to waters around Scarborough Saol, China has vowed to defend what it considers its own territory.
Despite the Chinese vessel’s “reckless” operation, the Philippine Coast Guard and Department of Fisheries and Oceans said they had renewed their “commitment to protect the rights and safety of fishermen within our maritime jurisdiction.”
“We will remain vigilant in protecting our national interests in the West Philippine Sea,” the two Philippine law enforcement agencies said, using Philippine names for waters off the archipelago’s west coast.
Philippine Coast Guard Adm. Jay Tariella said China’s maritime maneuvers were “not standard law enforcement actions” and “should be construed as unlawful attacks by violators of international law.”
The latest collision in the South China Sea comes after more than a month of major storms that have prevented many Philippine fishing and commercial vessels from entering dangerously rough waters.
