Philippines summons China envoy

over water cannon attack

Agence France-Presse
May 2, 2024 | 1:14pm

5
This frame grab from handout video footage taken and released on April 30, 2024 by the Philippine
Coast Guard (PCG) shows the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Bagacay (C) being hit by water
cannon from Chinese coast guard vessels near the chinese-controlled Scarborough shoal in
disputed waters of the South China Sea. The Philippines said the China Coast Guard fired water
cannon on April 30 at two of its vessels, causing damage to one of them, during a patrol near a reef
off the Southeast Asian country.

Photo by Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said

Thursday it summoned a senior Chinese embassy official over the
"harassment of Philippine vessels" in the South China Sea.

"The Philippines protested the harassment, ramming, swarming, shadowing

and blocking, dangerous manoeuvres, use of water cannons, and other
aggressive actions of China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia
vessels against" Filipino government vessels, it said in a statement.

Manila said it summoned Zhou Zhiyong, the number two official at the
Chinese embassy in Manila, over the April 30 incident that damaged a
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel and a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources (BFAR) boat near the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal.

"China's aggressive actions, particularly its water cannon use, caused

damage to vessels of PCG and BFAR. The Philippines demanded that
Chinese vessels leave Bajo de Masinloc and its vicinity immediately," it said,
using the Filipino name for the shoal.

The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Manila and Beijing have a long history of territorial disputes in the South China
Sea, with several collisions involving Philippine and Chinese vessels in recent
months, as well as the use of water cannon by the China Coast Guard.

The latest incident happened near the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal,

which has long been a potential flashpoint, during a mission to resupply
Filipino fishermen.

On Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters the
China Coast Guard took "necessary measures" against Philippine vessels that
infringed on Beijing's territory.
These measures were "in accordance with the law, and the way it handled the
situation was professional," Lin said according to transcripts released by the
Chinese embassy in Manila.

Tuesday's incident came as the Philippines and the United States held a
major annual military exercise that has infuriated Beijing.

BUREAU OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD

SOUTH CHINA SEA

WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

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