Chinese coast guard blasts Philippine boat in disputed sea

Manila: Two Chinese coast guard ships fired at a Philippine supply boat with water cannon on Saturday in the latest confrontation near a disputed South China Sea shoal, causing heavy damage to the wooden vessel, Philippine officials said.

It was not immediately clear if the Philippine navy crew was injured, or whether their damaged boat, the Unaizah May 4, managed to maneuver past the Chinese coast guard blockade to deliver supplies to Philippine forces manning a territorial outpost in the nearby Second Thomas Shoal.

It’s the second time this month the Unaizah May 4 has been damaged during an attempt to resupply the outpost.

The shoal has been occupied by a small contingent of Philippine navy personnel on a marooned warship since the late 1990s, but has recently been surrounded by Chinese coast guard and suspected militia vessels in an increasingly tense territorial standoff.

Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the resource-rich and busy waterway, a key global trade route.

The United States lays no claims to the strategic waters but has deployed Navy ships and fighter jets in what it calls “freedom of navigation” operations, which have been criticised by China. A Philippine coast guard ship that was escorting the Unaizah May 4 was also blocked and surrounded by a Chinese coast guard ship and two suspected militia vessels, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said. The escort ship, BRP Cabra, was “isolated from resupply boat due to irresponsible and provocative behaviour of the Chinese maritime forces”, Tarriela said, adding that Chinese forces were disregarding international regulations aimed at preventing collisions at sea.