Philippines accuses China of firing water cannons at its provide vessels

The Philippines on Thursday accused Chinese Coast Guard vessels of firing water cannon at boats delivering provides to Filipino marines within the disputed South China Sea, and ordered Beijing to “back off”.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin stated he had expressed “outrage, condemnation and protest” to Beijing over the incident, which he stated occurred Tuesday because the Philippine boats have been travelling to Second Thomas Shoal within the contested Spratly Islands.”Fortunately, no one was hurt; but our boats had to abort their resupply mission,” Locsin stated in an announcement on Twitter, describing the three Chinese vessels’ acts of blocking and utilizing water cannon as “illegal”.Locsin described the Philippine boats as “public”, suggesting they have been civilian vessels, and stated they have been coated by a mutual defence pact with the United States.”China has no law enforcement rights in and around these areas,” he added. “They must take heed and back off.”Tensions over the resource-rich seas spiked this yr after lots of of Chinese vessels have been detected at Whitsun Reef, which can be within the Spratly archipelago.China claims nearly the entire sea, via which trillions of {dollars} in commerce go yearly, with competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.Beijing has ignored a 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that its historic declare over a lot of the sea is with out foundation.After China occupied Mischief Reef within the mid-Nineties, the Philippines marooned a derelict navy vessel atop the close by Second Thomas Shoal to claim Manila’s territorial declare. Members of the Philippine Marines are based mostly there.Locsin stated the shoal was inside the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, and warned China’s “failure to exercise self-restraint threatens the special relationship” between the 2 nations.”We do not ask permission to do what we need to do in our territory,” he stated.The Chinese embassy in Manila didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to pivot away from the United States, the Philippines’ former colonial grasp, in direction of China since taking energy in 2016 and has appeared reluctant to confront Beijing.But going through rising home strain to take a more durable line, Duterte has insisted Philippine sovereignty over the waters shouldn’t be negotiable.In July, Duterte walked again on a call to axe a key army deal — the Visiting Forces Agreement — with the United States throughout a go to by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin.