Philippines accuses Chinese Coast Guard of firing water cannons
Officials in the Philippines accuse the Chinese Coast Guard of firing water cannon at one of their vessels. They say the incident took place near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
Manila made the announcement on Friday. It says four ships of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources were blocked by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel while supplying fuel to Philippine fishing boats.
Officials released a video showing what appears to be a Chinese ship targeting the Philippine vessels with water cannon. They describe China's act as illegal, and say the lives of the crew members were put in danger.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Coast Guard responded by saying the Philippine vessels violated international and Chinese law. He also accused them of undermining China's sovereignty.
Scarborough shoal lies about 200 kilometers west of Luzon Island, within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, but is effectively controlled by China.
Last year, Beijing unilaterally revised its territorial baselines to include the area.
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