BEIJING. A confrontation between Chinese and Philippine vessels near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday has heightened tensions in the South China Sea, with both sides accusing each other of dangerous maneuvers.
China’s coast guard alleged that a Philippine ship deliberately rammed one of its vessels after more than 10 Philippine government ships entered waters around the shoal, which China calls Huangyan Island. It said water cannons were deployed against the intruding ships.
The Philippines rejected the claim, saying Chinese forces used powerful water cannons that caused significant damage to the BRP Datu Gumbay Piang and left one crew member injured.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard, two Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at the Filipino fisheries vessel for nearly 30 minutes, shattering glass in the captain’s cabin and the bridge, injuring a crewman, and causing a short circuit that affected electrical outlets and several outdoor air-conditioning units. A Chinese navy warship also broadcast a radio notice about “live-fire exercises” at the shoal, which the Philippine Coast Guard said caused panic among Filipino fishermen.
Philippine vessels had been deployed to provide fuel, water, ice, and other supplies to more than 35 fishing boats in the area.
The incident occurred six days after China announced the designation of part of Scarborough Shoal as a national nature reserve. The Philippine government, which refers to the shoal as Bajo de Masinloc, filed a diplomatic protest over the move.
Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground, has long been a flashpoint in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway claimed almost entirely by China but also contested by the Philippines and several other countries.
The clash has drawn international reactions. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called China’s actions “yet another coercive move to advance sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea at the expense of its neighbors.” The United Kingdom and Australia also expressed concern, while the Canadian Embassy in Manila said it opposed attempts to use environmental protection as a pretext to assert control over the shoal.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
