The Philippine Coast Guard accused Chinese forces of using water cannons to cause collisions with two of its boats and injuring four of its personnel on the sidelines of a resupply mission in the South China Sea on Tuesday.
• Also read: China Sea: The Philippines again accuses Beijing of blocking a boat
• Also read: Philippine Coast Guard accuses China of “dangerous” maneuvers
The fighting took place in the second Thomas Shoal sector of the Spratly Islands, which is claimed by both countries and is the scene of regular incidents. The Philippines permanently maintains troops there.
The Chinese Coast Guard stressed it had taken “control measures” against “Filipino vessels following their entry into the waters near Ren'ai Reef in the Nansha Islands,” according to the Chinese location name for the sites, without giving further details.
The Philippine flotilla, consisting of two supply boats and two support boats, came under attack as it approached Second Thomas Shoal, where Filipino units are stationed aboard a stranded ship, the BRP Sierra Mother.
One of the supply boats, the Unaizah May 4, was attacked simultaneously by jets of water from two Chinese ships, shattering the windows of its command post and injuring four people, according to Manila.
According to this source, this boat also fell victim to a “minor collision” and had to turn back without being able to unload its cargo and the soldiers who wanted to relieve the stationed troops.
The other supply ship, the Unaizah May 1, was able to unload its cargo normally on the BRP Sierra Madre.
According to Philippine authorities, a Philippine escort ship was also the victim of a “minor collision” that “resulted in minor structural damage.”
Chinese coast guard spokesman Gan Yu accused Philippine forces of “deliberately” hitting a Chinese boat, causing a “scratch.”
The Chinese ships “harassed, blocked, used water cannons and conducted dangerous maneuvers – another attempt to impede or illegally obstruct a routine resupply and rotation mission,” the Philippine government charged.
Danger of “escalation”
Despite a 2016 international court ruling, Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, including waters and islands off the coasts of several neighboring countries.
The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim several reefs and islands in this sea, some of which may contain rich oil deposits.
In December, Chinese ships fired water cannons at Filipino boats.
This new incident came the day after an intervention by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who on Monday once again demonstrated his country's resolve against China.
“We will never cede even a square centimeter of our territory and maritime jurisdiction,” said the head of state on the sidelines of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia in Melbourne.
Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo called on China to stop “harassing” his country.
Beijing is trying to “break our resolve” and pose the threat of a “new escalation,” Renato de Castro, a political science professor at De La Salle University in Manila, told AFP on Tuesday.
Relations between Manila and Beijing have deteriorated since the election of President Marcos in 2022, who decided to strengthen ties with the United States, the country's traditional ally, and oppose Beijing's actions in the South China Sea.
An approach that contrasted with that of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who put aside maritime disputes with Beijing and promised Chinese investment in return.
For political analyst Richard Heydarian, a specialist on the Philippines, Chinese actions could “strengthen anti-Chinese sentiment in the Philippines and encourage the Marcos government to further strengthen its alliance with the West and its traditional partners.”
He believes there is a risk of a “very violent incident that could be beyond any control.”