Tensions in the South China Sea, the resource-rich and strategically vital waterway claimed in parts by several Southeast Asian nations and China, flared up again on Sunday, October 12, as Beijing and Manila traded accusations over a maritime confrontation near disputed islands. The incident, which occurred close to the Philippine-controlled Thitu Island (locally known as Pag-asa), saw both countries blaming each other for an at-sea collision involving water cannons and coast guard vessels.
The Philippine Maritime Council, an inter-agency government body, accused Chinese maritime forces of “dangerous maneuvers,” deploying water cannons and ramming a Filipino vessel, and “strongly condemned” the incident, vowing to take “appropriate diplomatic action,” according to a Reuters report.
China continues to assert sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes, despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims. The verdict, backed by the United States and its allies, including Japan, Australia, the European Union, and Canada, has been consistently rejected by Beijing.
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The Philippine Maritime Council, an inter-agency government body, accused Chinese maritime forces of “dangerous maneuvers,” deploying water cannons and ramming a Filipino vessel, and “strongly condemned” the incident, vowing to take “appropriate diplomatic action,” according to a Reuters report.
Chinese vessel fired water cannon at the Philippine coast guard
Manila’s coast guard said three vessels had been anchored near Thitu Island early Sunday as part of a government initiative to assist local fishermen when Chinese ships approached and used water cannons to intimidate them. About an hour later, a Chinese coast guard vessel allegedly fired a water cannon directly at a Philippine ship before ramming its stern, causing minor damage but no injuries, officials said.China took ‘control measures’ in accordance with the law
Beijing, however, accused the Philippine vessels of “illegally entering” waters near Sandy Cay, a coral reef within the northern Thitu Reefs of the Spratly Islands, and claimed a collision occurred after Manila’s ships “ignored repeated stern warnings.” China’s coast guard said it took “control measures” to drive the Philippine vessels away “in accordance with the law.”No injuries reported
The confrontation involved the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, part of a Philippine fisheries support fleet operating around Thitu Island. While no injuries were reported among Filipino crew members, the episode marked yet another flashpoint in the long-running territorial dispute among China, the Philippines, and several other Southeast Asian countries.China continues to assert sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes, despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims. The verdict, backed by the United States and its allies, including Japan, Australia, the European Union, and Canada, has been consistently rejected by Beijing.
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