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4d ago

Philippines Lodges Formal Protest After Chinese Water-Cannoning Injures Fishermen

The demarche follows injuries and vessel damage reported near Sabina Shoal, intensifying a legal dispute over waters 150 kilometers off Palawan.

A Chinese coast guard ship fires a water cannon at a Philippine navy's chartered vessel conducting a routine resupply mission to troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on March 05, 2024.
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Overview

  • Philippine officials said three fishermen were hurt and two boats damaged when Chinese coast guard ships used high‑pressure water cannons and cut anchor lines near Sabina Shoal on Dec. 12.
  • The foreign ministry issued a formal reprimand to the Chinese Embassy on Dec. 15, and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro condemned the actions as dangerous and inhumane.
  • The U.S. State Department publicly backed Manila and condemned China’s use of water cannons and cutting of anchor lines against Filipino fishers.
  • Beijing said its coast guard took necessary control measures in waters it claims as Xianbin Jiao and asserted the operations were lawful rights protection.
  • The incident occurred inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, and Manila cites the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China’s sweeping South China Sea claims, which Beijing continues to reject.