South China Sea: China uses water cannon to expel Philippine vessel from Scarborough Shoal
Incident on Friday follows earlier coastguard confrontations near Half Moon and Royal Captain shoals
China Coast Guard spokesman Liu Dejun said on Friday afternoon that Philippine vessel 3006 had “ignored repeated warnings and insistently intruded” into Chinese waters near the strategic shoal.
In response, the China Coast Guard used standard enforcement measures, including verbal warnings, close monitoring and water cannons to drive away the unauthorised ship, Liu said.
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Chinese military helicopter and Philippine patrol plane in close encounter over Scarborough Shoal
“The Philippine side’s actions constitute a serious violation of China’s sovereignty and international law,” Liu said, adding that the Chinese side’s response was “professional, lawful and justified” under China’s Coast Guard Law and related regulations.
Manila has not commented on any incident at Scarborough Shoal or responded to China’s statement.
The confrontation came a day after China accused the Philippines of “illegally” operating in waters near the disputed Half Moon and Royal Captain shoals.
In a statement late on Thursday, Liu said China’s coastguard had “handled the situation in accordance with the law and regulations, with the on-site operations conducted in a professional and standardised manner”.
“The Philippine government vessels, under the pretext of so-called fishery protection, have illegally infringed upon China’s rights and provocatively undermined stability in the South China Sea,” Liu said.