Chinese coast guard ships fired powerful water cannons at two Philippine fisheries vessels on Friday near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The incident represents the third confrontation between the two nations in the disputed waters this week.
The Philippine coast guard stated that a Chinese coast guard ship also approached a Philippine government vessel at a distance of seven meters, describing the maneuver as “reckless” and creating a significant risk of collision. China asserts sovereign control over the area, claiming it took control measures against vessels allegedly operating illegally in its waters. This claim is in defiance of a 2016 arbitration ruling based on the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims over the vital trade route.
The Philippine coast guard condemned the actions as “dangerous and unprofessional,” asserting that the shoal and its surrounding waters are integral parts of Philippine territory, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone.
The ongoing territorial disputes were a central topic at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministerial meetings, which began Tuesday in Manila. During closed-door talks, ASEAN foreign ministers expressed “concerns were expressed by some ministers on the land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the area, including actions that put the safety of all persons at risk, and damage to the marine environment.”
Diplomats welcomed progress in negotiations between China and ASEAN on a code of conduct aimed at preventing armed confrontation in the disputed waters, with an aim to conclude negotiations this year.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ASEAN talks. They discussed a prior clash on Monday near the Second Thomas Shoal, where two Filipino navy personnel were injured. Rubio described the incident as “escalatory” and emphasized the need for careful management of disputes, noting the potential for dramatic global impact from any conflict between the U.S. and China.
The U.S. administration has consistently criticized China’s assertive actions in the South China Sea, which frequently involve clashes with smaller claimant nations such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, as well as Taiwan. On Thursday, another incident occurred near the Scarborough Shoal where Chinese coast guard ships harassed two Philippine fisheries vessels, with one narrowly avoiding a water cannon blast.