Philippines accuses China of blocking aid vessels near disputed reef

The Philippines accused China's coast guard of firing a water cannon and using a dangerous manoeuvre on Thursday to block vessels taking aid to Filipino fishermen near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

The incident took place near the disputed reef hours before Manila hosted a regional security forum attended by the top diplomats of China and the United States. It was the second incident involving the Philippines and China in four days, after what the source described as a relatively peaceful few months.

The Philippine Coast Guard said a China Coast Guard ship came within 50 metres of the BRP Datu Dumangsil and fired a water cannon at it for two minutes. It said that about half an hour later, a second Chinese coast guard vessel crossed 500 metres across the bow of the Datu Paiburong, a sister vessel, in what the Philippine statement called a dangerous manoeuvre.

China Coast Guard spokesman Jiang Lue said the Filipino vessels had entered waters China calls the jurisdictional waters of Huangyan Island despite repeated warnings. He said the China Coast Guard took what he called necessary measures, including tracking, monitoring, blocking and controlling the Philippine vessels, and expelled them in accordance with the law.

A Philippine coast guard official said neither Filipino vessel was hit and both continued their mission to supply fuel to Filipino fishermen in the area.

Scarborough Shoal is a fish-rich reef formation 240 kilometres from the main Philippine island of Luzon and hundreds of kilometres from mainland China. Beijing claims most of the South China Sea, including Scarborough Shoal, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

In a clash on Monday, the Philippine military accused China Coast Guard personnel of clubbing a Filipino sailor with a baton near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. China said the Philippines had instigated that incident near a grounded vessel that has long served as a Philippine garrison.

Both countries summoned each other's ambassadors on Tuesday after that clash, which drew condemnation of Beijing from Manila's allies. Maritime security issues are high on the agenda at meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other countries. ASEAN members have long sought to reach a code of conduct with China for the waterway.