US slams harassment of Philippine fishery vessel

THE US Embassy in Manila on Monday denounced the Chinese Coast Guard’s (CCG) use of a water cannon on a Philippine vessel conducting a resupply mission near Chinese-occupied Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea last week.

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"The United States stands with the Philippines in upholding freedom of navigation and condemning the China Coast Guard’s dangerous actions that disrupted a lawful Philippine mission to provide supplies to fisherfolk within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone," it said in a statement.

Beijing’s coast guard last week fired a water cannon at a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship on its way to deliver supplies to Filipino fishermen near the shoal.

The vessel also faced unsafe maneuvers from the CCG ship that tried to hinder the mission.

The Philippines’ National Maritime Council earlier condemned China’s coast guard for its “aggressive” actions against Philippine civilian ships near Scarborough Shoal on June 20.

"We call on China to cease unlawful actions, act with restraint and adhere to international law to maintain regional peace and stability," it said in a statement on Sunday.