The Philippines summoned the Chinese ambassador on Monday (August 7) after the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons at Philippine vessels over the weekend in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, President Ferdinand said. Marks. “Our Foreign Secretary summoned Ambassador Huang today and handed him a note (…) including photos and videos of what happened, and we are awaiting their response,” Mr. Marcos explained. to the press.
Manila on Sunday accused the Chinese Coast Guard of firing water cannons at Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, calling the actions “illegal” and “dangerous”. China, for its part, said it had taken “necessary measures” against Philippine boats which it accuses of having “illegally” entered its waters.
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea despite rival claims from the Philippines, Vietnam or Malaysia, ignoring a 2016 international judgment against it.
“Maritime Militia”
According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the incident happened on Saturday while they were escorting vessels carrying supplies for Philippine military personnel stationed on Second Thomas, an atoll in the Spratly Islands. “The Philippine Coast Guard strongly condemns the dangerous maneuvers of the Chinese Coast Guard and the illegal use of water cannons against [their] vessels,” they said.
The US State Department has condemned China’s “dangerous” actions, saying they were carried out by its coast guard and “maritime militias”. The British and Australian embassies as well as the European Union have expressed concern. The Canadian mission to the Philippines condemned the Chinese intervention as “dangerous and provocative” while the representative of Japan called the incident, which occurred on Saturday, “totally unacceptable”.