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China says water cannon attack part of 'regulatory action' vs Philippine vessel

Philippines | National

China says water cannon attack part of 'regulatory action' vs Philippine vessel

By Joseph Pedrajas

China fired yet another water cannon on a Philippine vessel in the Ayungin Shoal because the latter supposedly "illegally entered" into an area of Philippine waters that it claimed to be part of its territory.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Saturday, March 23, issued a statement that justified China's Coast Guard (CCG)'s harassment on a Philippine vessel.

"These are our regulatory actions which have been taken against Philippine vessels that illegally entered the waters adjacent to Ren'ai Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao," the embassy said.

China has been claiming the whole South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, despite the ruling of the arbitral tribunal in The Hague which was based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Beijing also ratified this convention.

China has repeatedly said it wants to have "friendly relations" with the Philippines amid sea dispute, but Philippine allies saw that these Chinese actions constitute harassment, aggression and threats to peace and stability in the region.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) accused CCG of blocking and firing water cannon on a Philippine resupply ship in the Ayungin Shoal.

The ship, Unaizah May 4, was "severely damaged" after being hit multiple times, said Col. Xerxes Trinidad, chief of AFP public affairs office. But its resupply mission still succeeded despite the harassment.

Related Tags

water cannon attack West Philippine Sea Ayungin Shoal

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