The China Coast Guard (CCG) on Wednesday deployed water cannon attacks and rammed a vessel from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) during a maritime patrol near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea.
According to Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, CCG 3302 initiated two water cannon assaults. The first attack targeted the navigational antennas of BFAR vessel BRP Datu Pagbuaya (MMOV 3003), located 16 nautical miles south of Bajo de Masinloc at around 6:30 AM.
The Chinese ship then deliberately rammed the BRP Datu Pagbuaya on its starboard side, followed by another water cannon attack at 6:55 AM.
Escalation of Aggression
Tarriela reported that PCG vessels also faced hostile actions, including blocking, shadowing, and dangerous maneuvers by Chinese ships. One PCG vessel, BRP Teresa Magbanua, had been stationed for five months in Escoda Shoal before encountering harassment from Chinese vessels. The BRP Cabra, another PCG patrol ship, faced reckless maneuvers by a CCG vessel at a distance of just 300 yards.
Four China Coast Guard vessels and two People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ships were involved in the incident, Tarriela said.
China’s Defense
The Chinese Embassy in Manila claimed that Philippine vessels had intruded into Chinese territorial waters near Huangyan Dao, China’s name for Scarborough Shoal.
CCG spokesperson Liu Dejun defended their actions as lawful, accusing Philippine vessels of approaching Chinese patrol ships dangerously.
Context of the Incident
This confrontation follows Beijing’s submission to the United Nations of a territorial sea baseline chart that includes Scarborough Shoal within China’s claimed waters. Maritime experts, however, assert that this filing does not undermine the Philippines’ legal position or rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Philippines, recognized as the coastal state with jurisdiction over the continental shelf near Scarborough Shoal, has bolstered its maritime stance with recently signed laws defining its maritime zones and archipelagic sea boundaries.
Ongoing Disputes
China’s claim over almost the entire South China Sea, a vital trade route, continues to be contested by the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. Despite a 2016 ruling by an international tribunal in The Hague rejecting China’s claims, Beijing has refused to acknowledge the decision.