The Philippine Coast Guard accused a Chinese vessel of coming within about seven meters of a Philippine fisheries boat at Scarborough Shoal, creating a “serious risk of collision” on Friday, marking the second consecutive day of confrontations. The Chinese side allegedly used water cannons against Philippine ships.

PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela strongly condemned the “dangerous and unprofessional actions” of the China Coast Guard, emphasizing that the shoal is a traditional fishing ground for Filipinos. He stated that 12 Chinese Coast Guard vessels and three maritime militia ships were involved, with water cannons hitting two Philippine vessels and two others forced to take evasive maneuvers.

The China Coast Guard claimed it imposed “control measures” on Philippine vessels it alleged were operating illegally, warning, blocking, and deploying water cannons after they ignored warnings. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian defended the actions as “reasonable, lawful, and beyond reproach,” urging the Philippines to “immediately stop the infringement, provocation, and hype.”

These incidents at Scarborough Shoal, one of the most contested areas in the South China Sea, follow a Monday confrontation at Second Thomas Shoal where a Filipino sailor was allegedly injured by a baton from Chinese personnel. Both countries have summoned each other’s ambassadors in protest.

China has long occupied Scarborough Shoal and claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Beijing’s actions “disturbing” and reaffirmed support for the Philippines under their defense treaty.

Source: www.aljazeera.com