South China Sea: Philippines condemns Chinese coastguard’s ‘dangerous’ use of water cannons at its boats

The incident happened as the Philippine coastguard escorted vessels carrying supplies for Filipino troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands

Both Manila and the US denounced the actions, while Beijing accused the ships of trespassing and transporting illegal building materials

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A Chinese coastguard ship (left) releasing water cannon on a Philippine vessel near Second Thomas Shoal during a resupply mission on August 5. Photo: PCG/AFP

Published: 11:39am, 6 Aug 2023Updated: 3:06pm, 6 Aug 2023

The Philippines condemned the China coastguard on Sunday for allegedly firing water cannon at its vessels in the disputed South China Sea, describing the actions as “illegal” and “dangerous”.

The latest incident happened on Saturday as the Philippine coastguard escorted vessels carrying supplies for Filipino military personnel stationed at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.

In a statement, the US State Department condemned the Chinese actions, saying they were carried out by the coastguard and “maritime militia”, and that they directly threatened regional peace and stability.

Beijing claims almost all of the sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, and has ignored a 2016 international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Its coastguard and navy vessels routinely block or shadow Philippine ships patrolling the contested waters, Manila says.

Saturday’s incident was the first time since November 2021 that the Chinese coastguard had used water cannon against a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal.

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