The Philippines accused the China Coast Guard of firing water cannons and “sideswiping” a Filipino government vessel during a maritime patrol near the contested Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday. This incident occurred after China claimed it had “exercised control” over the ship.
China asserts nearly the entire South China Sea, disregarding rival claims from nations such as the Philippines, as well as an international ruling that declared its claims legally invalid. Tensions have escalated between the two countries, with frequent clashes between their vessels in the past year, resulting in injuries and damage.
The latest confrontation unfolded when Manila released a video showing a Chinese coast guard ship reportedly firing a stream of water at the Philippine fisheries department vessel, BRP Datu Pagbuaya. Additional footage from the Philippine ship appeared to show its crew shouting “Collision! Collision!” as the larger Chinese vessel neared and collided with the Philippine ship.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard and fisheries ministry, the water cannon was aimed directly at the vessel’s navigational antennas. They also claimed the Chinese ship “intentionally sideswiped” the Philippine vessel before launching a second water cannon attack.
In response, China’s coast guard initially stated that Philippine ships had “come dangerously close” and that their actions were “in accordance with the law.” However, in a later statement, China accused the Philippines of making “false accusations” to mislead the international community, claiming the Philippine vessel had “turned at a great angle and reversed, deliberately colliding” with the Chinese ship. The video provided by Manila, which allegedly showed drone footage of the collision, did not depict the Philippine ship reversing.
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