Philippines Slams Xi Jinping's Coast Guard Of Escalating South China Sea Tensions: 'They Don't Hesitate To Use Brute Force...'

The Philippines has slammed China’s coast guard for escalating tensions in the South China Sea after water cannons used by Beijing damaged two Philippine vessels.

What Happened: On Wednesday, Philippine officials reported that a coast guard ship and a fisheries vessel were damaged when Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannons at them, Reuters reported. The incident occurred on Tuesday while the Philippine vessels were en route to the disputed Scarborough Shoal to assist Filipino fishermen.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson on South China Sea matters, stated that this was the first time the Chinese Coast Guard had directly used a water cannon against a Philippine vessel.

“It just goes to show that Goliath is becoming more Goliath. They don’t hesitate to use brute force to violate international law,” Tarriela said.

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The Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing area close to major shipping lanes, is a constant source of tension between the Philippines and China. Despite an international tribunal ruling in 2016 that China’s expansive claim had no legal basis, Beijing continues to assert sovereignty over much of the South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Why It Matters: This incident follows a series of confrontations between the nations' coast guards.

The Philippines has a mutual defense treaty with the United States, which has pledged to defend its ally against any armed attack on Filipino military and public vessels, including coast guard ships, in the South China Sea. This commitment was recently reiterated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea.

President Joe Biden has expressed serious concerns over China's escalating activities in the South China Sea in the upcoming summits with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

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