A Chinese coast guard ship used a high-powered water cannon on Sunday and then rammed an anchored Philippine government vessel, slightly damaging it, near an island occupied by Filipinos in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine coast guard reported.
No injuries were reported among the crew of the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, part of the Philippine fisheries fleet that supports local fishermen.
The incident occurred near Thitu Island, also called Pag-asa by the Philippines, in the latest escalation of long-standing territorial disputes involving Manila, Beijing, and four other governments. China’s coast guard accused the Philippine vessels of illegally entering waters near Sandy Cay, a cluster of sandbars between Thitu and China’s artificial island base, Subi, claiming the Philippine ships ignored repeated warnings.
China said it “took control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law and resolutely drove them away,” reiterating its claim over nearly the entire South China Sea—a major trade route—despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated its historic claims. The ruling is supported by the United States, Japan, Australia, the European Union, and Canada, but rejected by Beijing.
According to Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine coast guard spokesperson, the Pagbuaya and two other Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ships were anchored when Chinese coast guard and suspected militia vessels suddenly approached and performed “dangerous and provocative maneuvers.” One Chinese ship, bow number 21559, fired a water cannon at the Pagbuaya before ramming its stern, causing minor structural damage but no crew injuries.
Video released by the Philippine coast guard shows the water cannon striking the vessel and its two Philippine flags, after which the ship moved away from the Chinese vessel.
“Despite these bullying tactics, the Philippine coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries remain resolute,” Tarriela said. “We will not be intimidated or driven away.”
In Beijing, Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun said the Philippine ships entered waters near Sandy Cay—called Tiexian Reef by China—without permission. He claimed one vessel came dangerously close, causing a scrape, and held the Philippines responsible, accusing Manila of undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Philippine coast guard commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan responded: “The harassment we faced today only strengthens our resolve. Filipino fisherfolk rely on these waters, and neither water cannons nor ramming will deter us from fulfilling our commitment to President Ferdinand Marcos to defend every inch of our territory.”
Thitu is the largest of nine islands, islets, and reefs occupied by Philippine forces and a small fishing community in the Spratly Islands, the region most fiercely contested by China. Beijing has built seven artificial islands there, three with runways and missile defenses, including Subi, located just over 12 miles from Thitu.
The latest clash adds to challenges facing the Marcos administration, which is also responding to recent earthquakes in the central and southern Philippines that killed more than 80 people, as well as consecutive typhoons that devastated the same areas.