Philippines summons Chinese diplomat over firing of ‘high pressured’ water cannon in South China Sea

Manila calls on Chinese boats to immediately leave disputed waters around Scarborough Shoal

The Philippines summoned a Chinese envoy in Manila to protest Beijing’s use of a water cannon that damaged a Filipino vessel in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

The Philippines Foreign Ministry said it protested the “harassment, ramming, swarming, shadowing and blocking” of its vessel by the China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia.

Describing the use of water cannons and tactics as “dangerous manoeuvres” and “aggressive actions”, Manila called on the Chinese boats to leave the waters immediately.

“The Philippines demanded that the Chinese vessels leave Bajo de Masinloc and its vicinity immediately,” it added.

It marked the 20^th protest by the Philippines against Chinese actions in the sea this year and one of 153 under the Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr’s administration as the encounters between the two armies became more frequent and serious.

The latest incident happened on Tuesday in Scarborough Shoal, referred to as Huangyan Island in China and is also known as Bajo de Masinloc inside Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

A dramatic video shared by the Philippine Coast Guard showed two larger Chinese vessels encircling the Philippine ship and firing water cannons.

The Philippines Coast Guard said four China Coast Guard vessels and six Chinese Maritime Militia vessels were involved in the incident that badly damaged the vessel. It mangled the railings, smashed the awning in the stern, and damaged the electronic system and canopy.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippines Coast Guard’s spokesperson on South China Sea matters, said their Chinese counterparts have elevated tensions after it directly used water cannon against one of its vessels for the first time.

This frame grab from handout video footage taken and released on April 30, 2024 by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Bagacay being hit by water cannon from Chinese coast guard vessels near the chinese-controlled Scarborough shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea (Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/AFP)

"It just goes to show that Goliath is becoming more Goliath. They don’t hesitate to use brute force to violate international law," Mr Tarriela told a briefing.

China has significantly raised the pressure of its water cannons which have caused heavy damage to the ships, he said.

A spokesperson at China‘s embassy in Manila said Scarborough shoal, which it calls Huangyan Dao, "has always been China‘s territory" and urged the Philippines to "stop making infringement and provocations at once and not to challenge China’s resolve to defend our sovereignty".

However, no country has sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing patch close to major shipping lanes that is used by several countries.

The shoal falls inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and has been a constant source of flashpoint between it and China.