China 'expels' 2 Philippine ships near Scarborough Shoal: State media

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Apr 2024 09:28

The Philippines says that China's Coast Guard vessels fired water cannons toward its two ships and caused damage to one of them.

Chinese coastguard ship blocks a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship as it neared the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea in October 2023. (AFP)

China “expelled” a Philippine coast guard vessel and another ship from waters near the Scarborough Shoal, state media reported Monday without providing further details.

Meanwhile, the Philippines said on Tuesday the China Coast Guard fired a water cannon, targeting two of its vessels, causing damage to one of them.

BREAKING: The Philippines said the China Coast Guard fired water cannon Tuesday at two of its vessels, causing damage to one of them

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"This damage serves as evidence of the forceful water pressure used by the China Coast Guard in their harassment of the Philippine vessels," the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement.

The Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks, has been a contentious area between the two countries since China took control of it from the Philippines in 2012.

Beijing and Manila have been entangled in tensions resulting from the South China Sea dispute, the issue has grown since the Philippines started conducting increased military exercises in the South China Sea with the United States. Earlier this month, the Philippines and the US launched the Balikatan military exercise described as the largest drill between the two allies.

Sixty percent of maritime trade passes through Asia, with the South China Sea carrying an estimated one-third of global shipping. Most recently, US and Western-affiliated naval ships have been crossing the area as part of the ongoing provocations against Beijing.

A ship from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and another from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) were transporting fuel and provisions to fishermen operating in the vicinity of the reef.

"During the patrol, the Philippine vessels encountered dangerous maneuvers and obstruction from four China Coast Guard vessels and six Chinese Maritime Militia vessels," the statement said.

"Despite the harassment and provocative actions of the Chinese Coast Guard, both the PCG and BFAR vessels stood their ground and continued their maritime patrol," it continued.