Chinese coast guard ships blasted water cannons at two Philippine government fisheries vessels Friday in the South China Sea, marking the third confrontation this week even as top diplomats gathered in Manila to discuss regional security. The escalating violence against civilian maritime workers underscores Beijing's willingness to use force despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent armed conflict in the disputed waters.
The latest high-seas faceoff happened near Scarborough Shoal for the second day in a row. A Chinese coast guard ship approached a Philippine government fisheries vessel at a distance of just seven meters, or 23 feet, in what the Philippine coast guard called a reckless maneuver that created a serious risk of collision. The Philippine coast guard strongly condemned the dangerous and unprofessional actions, saying the shoal is an integral part of Philippine territory and its surrounding waters form part of the country's territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.
Pattern of Escalation
The Chinese coast guard said multiple Philippine ships, including three coast guard vessels, gathered in the waters on Friday and that it issued verbal warnings, deployed interception measures and used water cannon to expel them. "We sternly warn the Philippines to immediately cease its infringing and provocative actions or bear all consequences that may arise," China said.
This week's attacks come despite a 2016 arbitration ruling based on the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea that invalidated Beijing's expansive claims. China claims virtually the entire sea passage, a key global trade route, ignoring the international tribunal's decision now 10 years old.
Diplomacy Under Fire
The decades-long territorial standoffs were high on the agenda of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their Asian and Western counterparts in three days of closed-door talks that started Tuesday in the Philippine capital. The ASEAN ministers discussed the South China Sea disputes Tuesday and issued a joint statement saying that concerns were expressed by some ministers on the land reclamations, activities, serious incidents in the area, including actions that put the safety of all persons at risk, and damage to the marine environment.
The 11-nation regional bloc's top diplomats welcomed significant progress in negotiations with China on a code of conduct that aims to prevent a major armed confrontation in the disputed waters. They said they aim to conclude the negotiations this year. Yet the continued attacks on Philippine vessels raise questions about Beijing's commitment to peaceful resolution.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, met Wednesday on the sidelines of the ASEAN talks and discussed Monday's clash at the Second Thomas Shoal, calling the incident escalatory. That confrontation, which occurred 5 days ago, left two Philippine sailors aboard a boat injured after being hit by wooden poles by Chinese coast guard personnel in a separate boat, the Philippines said. China accused Philippine sailors of attacking the Chinese with oars and long sticks.
Calls for Rule of Law
Nearly a week of ministerial meetings in Manila was capped Friday with the commemoration of ASEAN's 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, a nonaggression pact now 50 years old, where Philippine Foreign Sec. Theresa Lazaro said that in a time of global uncertainty, peace needs to be always defended. "Peace is a daily choice," Lazaro said. "It requires continuous labor, deliberate restraint, inclusive dialogue and an unyielding adherence to the rule of law."
Her words stand in stark contrast to the water cannon attacks happening simultaneously in Philippine waters, where fisheries workers and coast guard personnel face physical danger while simply doing their jobs.
Why This Matters:
The repeated attacks on Philippine vessels reveal how China's disregard for international law directly threatens the safety of civilian maritime workers and the sovereignty of smaller nations. Despite a binding 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing's claims, Chinese forces continue to use water cannons and physical violence against Filipino personnel in waters that belong to the Philippines under international law. The pattern of escalation during diplomatic meetings suggests that negotiations alone won't protect vulnerable workers or uphold the rules-based international order that prevents powerful nations from simply seizing what they want by force. For the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations, the gap between diplomatic progress and dangerous reality at sea grows wider with each attack.