MANILA: The Philippines said the China Coast Guard fired water cannon and “sideswiped” a government vessel on Wednesday during a maritime patrol near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, after Beijing said it had “exercised control” over the ship.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing off rival claims from other countries — including the Philippines ù and an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Vessels from the two sides have clashed frequently in the past year, resulting in injuries and damages.

Tensions flared again on Wednesday, with Manila releasing a video appearing to show a Chinese coast guard ship firing a torrent of water at the Philippines fisheries department vessel BRP Datu Pagbuaya.

Other footage apparently taken from the Philippine ship showed its crew shouting “Collision! Collision!” as the much larger Chinese vessel approaches its right-hand side before crashing into it.

The water cannon was aimed “directly at the vessel’s navigational antennas”, the Philippine coast guard and fisheries ministry said in a joint statement. The Chinese vessel “intentionally sideswiped” the ship before launching a second water cannon attack, the statement said.

China’s coast guard said in an initial statement that Philippine ships “came dangerously close” and that its crew’s actions had been “in accordance with the law”. But in a later statement, it accused Manila of making “bogus accusations in an attempt to mislead international understanding”.

It said the Philippine ship had “turned at a great angle and reversed, deliberately colliding” with the Chinese ship. Video released by Manila said to be drone footage of the collision does not show the Philippine ship reversing.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2024