MANILA: The Philippines accused China’s coast guard of firing water cannon and using a “dangerous maneuver” on Thursday to block vessels bringing aid to Filipino fishermen near a disputed South China Sea reef.
The incident took place near Scarborough Shoal, hours before Manila hosted a regional security forum attended by the top diplomats of both China and the United States.
It was the second incident involving the two Asian neighbors in four days, after a relatively peaceful few months.
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea, including the flashpoint shoal, despite an international ruling that its assertion lacks any legal basis.
On Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard said a China Coast Guard ship closed to within 50 meters (164 feet) of the BRP Datu Dumangsil and fired water cannon at it for two minutes.
