The ships collided and the water cannons would have caused damage and injury during a skirmish between Chinese and Philippins ships in the Southern China Sea Tuesday.
The Philippine Coast Guard said that two Chinese ships used water cannons while continuing the BRP Datu Gumbay Piang, a fishing vessel because it delivered food to Filipino fishermen near the Scarborough speaker, a triangular set of rocks and reefs that the two countries claim.
“This aggressive action lasted about 29 minutes, causing significant damage, including a broken glass from the rear window of the bridge,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Coast Guard. A crew member was injured by the broken glass, said Tarriela.
The China Coast Guard pulled water cannons after the Philippine ship ignored solemn warnings on the Chinese side and deliberately struck a Chinese coastal guard ship, “said Chinese Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu.
Yu said the meeting involved more than 10 Filipino ships on Tuesday; The Philippines said nine Chinese ships were involved. The two parties published a video showing a Chinese ship and a collision Philippines ship.
The Scarborough speaker is found in the exclusive economic zone defined by defined by the Nations of the Philippines. China claims a large part of the Southern China Sea in the context of its historic maritime territory despite a 2016 decision of an international arbitration court rejecting this complaint.
Tuesday’s incident came for almost a week after China announced that it would create a nature reserve on the Scarborough speaker. Philippin officials condemned this plan, calling it “clear pretext for the occupation”.
Includes agency reports France-Presse and Reuters.