The Philippines and China report a new maritime confrontation near a contested South China Sea shoal
The HinduChinese and Philippine vessels engaged in a new confrontation in the South China Sea on Friday, with Manila charging that a Chinese coast guard ship and accompanying vessels conducted dangerous maneuvers and blasted a Philippine supply ship with a water cannon in disputed waters. Last month, a Chinese coast guard ship and an accompanying vessel rammed a Philippine coast guard ship and a military-run supply boat near the contested shoal, according to Philippine officials. A Philippine government task force dealing with the South China Sea said Friday that vessels belonging to China’s coast guard and its paramilitary Maritime Militia “recklessly harassed, blocked and executed dangerous maneuvers in another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct a routine resupply and rotation mission.” It said a Chinese coast guard ship used a water cannon to blast the Philippine supply vessel M/L Kalayaan, which was en route to deliver supplies to the outpost. The Chinese coast guard said two small cargo vessels and three Philippine coast guard ships “arbitrarily trespassed into the waters near China’s Ren’ai Reef,” the name China uses for the shoal.