A senior Chinese minister was summoned to Manila on Thursday to rally a water gun affair that destroyed two Spanish ships while conducting a police in the South China Sea.
According to the Philippines ‘ foreign ministry, the April 30 event near the disputed Scarborough Shoal caused damage to a coast guard vehicle and another federal boat.
Manila and Beijing have a long history of regional problems in the South China Sea, and the neighbors have been involved in numerous nautical incidents in recent months as they assert their adversary states in the proper lake.
The latest, near the China- managed Scarborough Shoal, occurred during a quest to replenish Filipino fishing.
Zhou Zhiyong, the number two standard at the Chinese ambassador, was summoned by Manila over” the intimidation, ramming, swarming, shadowing and blocking, dangerous manoeuvres, use of liquid cannons, and other extreme actions of China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels”, according to a declaration from the international ministry.
” China’s aggressive actions, particularly its water cannon use, caused damage” to the Philippines ‘ vessels, the ministry added, demanding that the Chinese boats immediately leave the shoal and its vicinity.
The Philippines claimed that the pressure in the water cannon incident on Tuesday caused the Philippine ships to tear or bend metal sections and equipment far greater than anything that had previously been used.
The foreign ministry reported that the diplomatic protest on Thursday was the 20th one organized by Manila this year and the 153rd one since President Ferdinand Marcos took office in the middle of 2022.
A request for comment was not immediately addressed by the Chinese Embassy.
China’s coast guard had previously said it “expelled” the two Philippine ships from its waters near Huangyan Island, the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal.
Since China seized the shoal from the Philippines in 2012, it has been a flashpoint between the two nations.
Major military exercise
China asserts that it has no legal basis despite international pressure from other nations, including the Philippines, and a ruling that has been overturned by the international community.
The triangular chain of reefs and rocks that make up Scarborough Shoal are located nearly 900 kilometers away from Hainan, the closest major Chinese land mass, and 240 kilometers ( 150 miles ) west of Luzon, the country’s main island.
Beijing has deployed its coast guard and other vessels that Manila claims harass Philippine ships and prevent its fishermen from entering the rich lagoon since seizing the shoal.
The most recent incident occurred as Beijing furious as the Philippines and the United States conducted a significant annual military exercise.
A bilateral defense agreement exists between Manila and Washington, and recent conflicts between Philippine and Chinese vessels have fueled speculation about its genesis.
President Marcos claimed last month that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had assured the international community that the treaty would be ratified if another “foreign power” killed a Filipino soldier.
