Philippines accuses China of second water cannon attack as South China Sea tensions escalate

THE Philippines has accused the China Coast Guard of firing a water cannon at Philippine government vessels near the disputed Scarborough Shoal for the second consecutive day, in the latest escalation of tensions between the two countries in the South China Sea.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said a Chinese Coast Guard vessel came within approximately seven metres of a Philippine fisheries vessel operating near the shoal, creating what it described as "a serious risk of collision".

“The PCG strongly condemns the dangerous and unprofessional actions of the China Coast Guard,” Reuters cited PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela saying in a statement.

He added that Scarborough Shoal remained a traditional fishing ground for Filipinos and that “whose rights cannot be lawfully impeded by any foreign power”.

Earlier on Friday, the China Coast Guard said it had imposed "control measures" on several Philippine vessels that it alleged were operating illegally in waters surrounding Scarborough Shoal.

The latest incident followed a similar confrontation on Thursday, making it the second such encounter in as many days.

China has maintained a continuous presence at Scarborough Shoal, deploying coast guard vessels as part of its broader assertion of sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including waters that fall within the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The renewed maritime tensions coincided with the conclusion of Southeast Asian foreign ministers' meetings in Manila, attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio described China's actions in the South China Sea as "disturbing" and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to its mutual defence treaty with the Philippines.

The incidents at Scarborough Shoal came days after another confrontation on Monday at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, about 650 kilometres away, where Manila said a Filipino sailor was injured after allegedly being struck with a baton by Chinese Coast Guard personnel.

China, however, accused the Philippine Navy of ignoring repeated warnings and attempting to ram a Chinese patrol vessel during the incident. Both countries subsequently summoned each other's ambassadors to lodge formal diplomatic protests.

Sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal, known in China as Huangyan Island, remains disputed.

In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled overwhelmingly in favour of the Philippines in a case challenging China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, finding that Beijing's blockade of Scarborough Shoal violated international law. China has rejected the ruling and continues to assert its territorial claims. - July 24, 2026