&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "China–Philippines tensions escalate as Filipino fishermen injured in Chinese water cannon attack - What's happening")
The Philippine coast guard said on Saturday (Dec 13) accused Chinese coast guard ships of firing aat their boats and injuring at least three Filipino fishermen. It also said that two fishing vessels suffered “significant damage.” It said that the Chinese cut their anchor lines in a disputed area of the South China Sea. Beijing, in its statement, said that it had taken "necessary control measures" involving about 20 Philippine fishing boats near Sabina Shoal. This is yet another escalation of Chinese and Philippine shipsin the contested waterway, which Beijing claims nearly in its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
What happened?
Sabina Shoal is contested waterway which is fish-rich area about 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the island of Palawan. A Philippine coast guard spokesman said that the fishermen were “were targeted with water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers.""Three fishermen sustained physical injuries, including bruises and open wounds. Two (Filipino fishing boats) also suffered significant damage from high-pressure water cannon blasts," Commodore Jay Tarriela said. Social media video released by the Philippine side showed water cannon blasts crashing over the small fishing boats.
However, in a statement, the China Coast Guard said it had taken “necessary control measures against the Philippine vessels … including issuing warnings via loudspeaker and conducting external maneuvering to drive them away.”
Earlier in October, thePhilippinesaccused a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming one of its government vessels in the Spratly Islands, where Beijing has sought to assert its sovereignty claims for years. Beijing blamed Manila for the incident. A month earlier, one person was injured when a water cannon attack by a China Coast Guard vessel shattered a window on the bridge of another fisheries bureau vessel near the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal.
