Three Chinese coast guard vessels on Tuesday fired water cannons at two Philippine government ships near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard said, in another incident showing heightening tensions between Manila and Beijing over their competing claims in the sea.
The attack on a vessel belonging to the Philippine fisheries bureau and a coast guard ship took place while they were on a maritime patrol in the waters near the shoal, located 124 nautical miles west of the northern Philippine province of Zambales, according to the coast guard.
Chinese coast guard vessels also used water cannons against a Philippine boat on March 23. The boat was on a supply mission to a grounded navy ship in the Second Thomas Shoal, another sandbank in the area.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesman of the Philippine Coast Guard for matters concerning the South China Sea, said "the forceful water pressure used by the China Coast Guard" on Tuesday morning damaged the railing and canopy of his agency's vessel, the Bagacay.
Aside from the use of water cannons, the Chinese coast guard vessels plus ships from China's maritime militia conducted dangerous maneuvers close to the two Philippine vessels, said Tarriela, adding that the Chinese coast guard placed a 380-meter floating barrier to block the Philippine side from entering the shoal.
The Chinese coast guard said in a statement that it took necessary measures against the Philippine vessels after they had entered the waters "illegally."
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian also told a press briefing that the Philippine vessels "seriously infringed on China's sovereignty."
China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, a vital shipping route and an area of rich fishing grounds. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have competing claims in the sea.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in a 2016 ruling invalidated China's sweeping claim to the resource-rich sea. But Beijing has rejected the decision.
In the same ruling, the court also determined that the waters of the Scarborough Shoal are the traditional common fishing grounds of fishermen from different countries.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said China's repeated harassment of Philippine vessels is "detrimental to regional peace and stability, and our belief is that the Chinese coast guard installation of these barriers also endangers Philippine fisherfolk's livelihoods."
At a press briefing, Patel said Secretary of State Antony Blinken also made the case during his recent trip to China that Beijing must "respect the navigational rights and freedoms guaranteed to all states under international law."
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