Tensions escalate as the Philippines expresses outrage over the Chinese coast guard’s use of water cannons against Philippine ships in the South China Sea. The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Zhou Zhiyong from the Chinese Embassy in Manila to protest the aggressive actions targeting Philippine vessels. The ministry highlighted instances of harassment, ramming, pursuit, obstruction, and dangerous maneuvers, demanding an immediate cessation of such activities and the withdrawal of Chinese ships from the area.
This incident marks the 20th diplomatic protest lodged by the Philippines against China this year and the 153rd since 2022. The recent altercation involved Chinese Coast Guard teams spraying pressurized water on Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources boats at Scarborough Reef. China insists on its sovereignty over the reef, while the Philippines claims it falls within its exclusive economic zone, intensifying the ongoing dispute in the region.