Manila says its coast guard ship was damaged after being hit by water cannons; Beijing says it has “expelled” Filipino boats.
The Philippines has accused China of “dangerous maneuvers and obstruction” and of re-imposing a barrier at the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing blocked and seized from Manila in 2012.
Jay Tarriela, spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), said two Philippine ships on maritime patrol encountered four Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ships and six ships of its maritime militia in the area on Monday morning.
One of the ships was hit by water cannons from one of the CCG ships about 12 nautical miles (22 km) from the shoal, while the other – a PCG ship – was hit by water cannons fired from two of the CCG ships as it was About 12 nautical miles (22 km) from the shoal was 1,000 yards (914 meters) from the shoal, called Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines.
Tarriela wrote on the social media platform X that the ship’s railing and canopy were damaged.
A video attached to the post showed water cannons hitting both the port side of the boat and the starboard side closer to the bow.
“This damage serves as evidence of the strong water pressure used by the Chinese Coast Guard to harass the Philippine vessels,” he wrote.
Yesterday, the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP BAGACAY (MRRV-4410) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel BRP BANKAW (MMOV-3004) were tasked with conducting a legitimate maritime patrol in the waters near Bajo De Masinloc commissioned. The main goal of this… pic.twitter.com/5jQkS2g66e
— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) April 30, 2024
On Tuesday, Beijing claimed it had “expelled” Filipino ships from the area, a traditional fishing ground that provides shelter even in stormy weather.
Tarriela said China had also erected a barrier about 415 yards (380 meters) long across the entrance to the shoal, which lies about 220 kilometers (137 miles) off the coast of the Philippines and within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an EEZ extends approximately 200 nautical miles (approximately 370 km) from a country’s coast.
China first erected the barrier last year, but the Philippines removed it in September, saying it violated international maritime law.
The Philippines and China have been involved in several incidents in and around the disputed reef in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely under a nine-dash line that an international tribunal found unfounded in 2016.
Manila brought its case to the tribunal after China seized Scarborough Shoal more than a decade ago.
China ignored the ruling and continued to assert its claim.
Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also claim the sea around their coasts.