Chinese coast guard ships blocked two Philippine supply boats in the disputed South China Sea on Tuesday. China’s ships then sprayed a powerful stream of water at the boats. The action prompted the Philippine government in Manila to order Beijing’s ships to back off. It further warned that its supply vessels are covered by a mutual defense treaty with the United States, Manila’s top diplomat said Thursday.
According to Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr., no one was hurt in the incident. But the two supply ships had to abort their mission to provide food to Filipino forces occupying Second Thomas Shoal. That mostly submerged segment of land lies off western Palawan province in an area that’s called an “internationally recognized exclusive economic zone.” That means other nations recognize the Philippines’ right to be there.
It was the latest flare-up in the long-simmering territorial disputes in the strategic waterway. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan all have overlapping claims. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and has transformed seven shoals into missile-protected island bases. Those military preparations have ratcheted up tensions between China and its neighbors—as well as the allies of those other countries.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China’s coast guard was upholding China’s sovereignty by using the water cannons. China says it fired only after the Philippine ships entered Chinese waters at night without permission.
National Security Advisor Hermogenes Esperon told reporters in Manila that two Chinese coast guard ships blocked the two wooden-hulled supply vessels. A third coast guard ship “water cannoned the two for one hour,” he said. He added that the outrigger of one of the Philippine ships was displaced by the impact.
A water cannon is a device on firetrucks that shoots high-velocity water for firefighting and crowd control. China installed these cannons on coast guard ships to drive away what China considers intruders in the waters it claims.
The Philippines plans to deploy coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries vessels to back up its forces and enforce its fishing laws.
“We will continue the resupply, and we do not have to ask the permission of anybody because that is within our territory,” Esperon says.
President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, have repeatedly assured the Philippines that the United States will respond if needed. The United States entered into an obligation called the Mutual Defense Treaty. In it, the U.S. agrees to offer military support if Philippine forces, ships, or aircraft come under attack in the South China Sea region.
(A Chinese coast guard vessel patrols the South China Sea in April 2021. Ships like this one blocked Philippine supply boats and sprayed them with water cannons on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
