Overview

• Philippine officials reported China using water cannons against their vessels at two disputed areas of the South China Sea on two consecutive days, marking the fourth such incident.
• Philippines filed its 64th diplomatic protest against China this year, out of over 130 since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took power in June 2022.
• China has been accused of 'unprovoked acts of coercion' violating international law, damaging maritime assets and putting lives of Filipino crew at risk.
• Philippine President Marcos Jr has expressed frustration with 'traditional methods of diplomacy' with China, which have yielded 'very little progress'.
• Despite rising tensions, experts believe full-blown conflict is unlikely in the near future, though the risk of minor escalations remains.