The United States has condemned China’s recent interception of a Philippine government vessel near a disputed atoll in the South China Sea early Wednesday morning.
“The PRC’s (People’s Republic of China) unlawful use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers disrupted a Philippine maritime operation on December 4, putting lives at risk,” U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said in a statement, posted on X, formerly Twitter. “We stand with our like-minded friends, allies, and partners in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Newsweek reached out to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs with an emailed request for comment outside of office hours.
The confrontation occurred as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) conducted a patrol near Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Island in China. The atoll, located about 140 miles from the Philippines’ Luzon Island, is a rich fishing ground and a long-standing flashpoint in territorial disputes.
Philippine Coast Guard
Video released by Philippine officials shows a Chinese coast guard vessel using a high-powered water cannon, which, according to PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela, was directed at the BRP Datu Pagbuaya‘s navigational antennas. The Chinese vessel later “sideswiped” the smaller Philippine ship before firing the water cannon again.
China frequently relies on its coast guard to enforce its claims in disputed areas of the South China Sea, viewing the agency as less escalatory than naval warships.
However, two Chinese navy Type 054A frigates, the Xianniang and Yuncheng, were also on the scene of the latest clash.
Tarriela accused Chinese naval forces of “blocking, shadowing, and conducting dangerous maneuvers” against both the Datu Pagbuaya and its Philippine coast guard escort, the BRP Teresa Magbanua. He said that both Manila’s coast guard and fisheries bureau remain committed to “protecting the rights and safety of our fishermen within our maritime jurisdiction.”
Scarborough Shoal sits within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where international maritime law grants the country exclusive rights to resources within 200 nautical miles (230 miles) of its coastline.
China, which seized de facto control of the atoll in 2012, claims the shoal, as it does most South China Sea features, as part of its territory.
Lin Jian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said during the ministry’s regular press conference that Scarborough Shoal is “China’s inherent territory.” Lin said that Philippine vessels had intruded into the shoal’s territorial waters, prompting lawful and professional measures from Chinese forces.
“China advises the Philippines to immediately stop its infringement and provocation and refrain from challenging China’s firm determination to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” Lin said.
An international arbitral tribunal in 2016 determined that Scarborough Shoal is a classified as a “rock” under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Therefore is not subject to territorial waters of its own.
The two neighbors’ territorial dispute has become increasingly heated since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who came to office in 2022, began pushing back against China’s expansion in the area.
Beijing has responded with ever more assertive measures to block Philippine vessels from accessing disputed areas, including water cannons and ramming.
Last month, China announced new baselines for Scarborough Shoal, saying they comply with Chinese maritime laws. Baselines define the waters a country claims full jurisdiction over, with territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles beyond them, allowing for the right of innocent passage.
The declaration followed Marcos Jr.’s signing of legislation clarifying his nation’s maritime claims, a move that drew strong condemnation from Beijing.
