China Coast Guard Deliberately Hits A Philippine Ship And Sprays Water Cannons In The South China Sea

Philippine Coast Guard/PHOTO via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - China and the Philippines accused each other on Thursday of a confrontation between their two ships in disputed waters in the South China Sea, the latest incident in a maritime deadlock that has been going on for a long time on the strategic waterway.

The Philippine fisheries Bureau said the life of a civilian crew was threatened when the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons and grazed a ship while conducting marine research around the disputed South China Sea reefs.

The Philippines condemned what it called the China Coast Guard's "aggressive mixing of hands" against Datu Sanday and the second ship in the incident Wednesday, May 21.

The Philippines said its ships had never previously been targeted by water cannons in the area.

Meanwhile, China's coast guard said two Philippine vessels entered the waters illegally near Subi Reef and Sandy Cay and arranged personnel to land at Sandy Cay.

The collision occurred after one of the Philippine ships ignored various warnings and approached Chinese ships in a dangerous manner, the Chinese side said, placing full responsibility for the incident on the Philippine side.

China's statement did not mention the use of water cannons.

US Ambassador to Manila, MaryKay Carlson called China's actions aggressive. In a post on X, Carlson called the Chinese coast guard "recklessly endangering lives and threatening regional stability."

Sandy Cay close to Thitu Island is the largest and most strategically important island of nine features occupied by the Philippines in the Spratly islands, where China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam are also present.

Last month, China said its Coast Guard had landed in Sandy Cay as part of an operation to carry out its sovereignty.

The Philippines denies Beijing has controlled the disputed coral reef.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea region, including areas claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

An international arbitration court ruling in 2016 declared Beijing's broad claim to have no international legal basis, a decision China rejected.