Tensions in the disputed South China Sea flared again on Tuesday as Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannons and attempted to block two Philippine fisheries vessels delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen near Scarborough Shoal, Bloomberg reports.
The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) confirmed the incident in a statement, detailing how three Chinese coast guard vessels and one navy vessel intercepted the two Filipino boats during a routine resupply mission early Tuesday morning.
Despite the “dangerous maneuvers and opening of water cannons,” both fishing vessels successfully delivered supplies to Filipino fishermen in the area.
The Chinese Coast Guard released a statement acknowledging the incident, claiming they “tracked and took unspecified ‘control measures’ on two Philippine ships as they sailed to waters near the Scarborough Shoal.”
The incident marks the latest in a series of escalating tensions between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea. The two countries have long disputed claims to the resource-rich region, with China asserting its dominance over nearly all of the waters, including Scarborough Shoal, which the Philippines calls Bajo de Masinloc.
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