7 nations, EU hit China's ramming, water cannon

Seven foreign missions in the Philippines have called out China's latest actions in the West Philippine Sea after Chinese Coast Guard and militia vessels rammed and fired water cannons at Philippine vessels near Pag-asa Island over the weekend.

- 

Embassies and ambassadors of the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Finland and the European Union Delegation to the Philippines issued separate statements as of Monday, October 13, expressing alarm and urging China to cease its “dangerous” tactics at sea.

On Sunday, October 12, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 21559 reportedly fired a high-pressure water cannon and later rammed the stern of the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, one of three Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ships anchored off Pag-asa Island that day for a humanitarian mission for Filipino fishers.

The impact caused minor damage but no injuries, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

This latest flareup is part of a steady escalation of Beijing's willingness to confront and chase Philippine vessels around maritime features it claims sovereignty over, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its so-called nine-dash line in the South China Sea.