China accuses Philippine ships of intruding near Scarborough Shoal, while Manila reports "aggressive" Chinese actions
Reuters
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) released a video showing what it says were a Chinese navy and coast guard vessel taking "aggressive actions" against a routine patrol by it and the fisheries bureau near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Wednesday (December 4).
China's Coast Guard said on Tuesday that four Philippine ships had attempted to enter China's territorial waters around a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.
Liu Dejun, a coast guard spokesperson, said in a statement the Philippine ships had "dangerously approached" China Coast Guard "normal law enforcement patrol vessels" around the Scarborough Shoal. Liu added that China had "exercised control" over the Philippine ships.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) released a video showing what it says were a Chinese navy and coast guard vessel taking "aggressive actions" against a routine patrol by it and the fisheries bureau near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Wednesday (December 4).
A Chinese coast guard vessel fired a water cannon at a PCG vessel "aiming directly at the vessel's navigational antennas", Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the South China Sea, said in a statement. Philippine vessels also faced "blocking, shadowing, and dangerous manoeuvres" from Chinese navy and coastguard ships, he added.
Tensions between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea have escalated throughout the year, particularly over the Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing patch.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, a vital waterway for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
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