Philippine News
Filipino fishermen say Chinese coast guard used water cannon to drive them from disputed shoal
Wikipedia photo
MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine military chief says Filipino fishermen have reported that a Chinese coast guard vessel used a water cannon to drive them away from a disputed shoal.
Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said Monday that the military is investigating the Jan.
27 incident at Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground off the northwestern Philippines. The shoal came under China’s effective control after a standoff between Chinese and Philippine ships in the disputed area in 2012.
Bautista says Philippine military forces adhere to a no-confrontation policy in the disputed areas but “will react to the best of our ability” if “armed violence is used against our people.
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China, the Philippines and four other governments have been disputing ownership of resource-rich South China Sea territories for years, periodically reigniting tensions.
