Three Filipino fishermen were hurt and two boats damaged after the China Coast Guard fired water cannon in disputed waters near Sabina Shoal, reported Reuters.
The Philippine Coast Guard said nearly two dozen fishing vessels were targeted, with blocking manoeuvres and anchor lines cut by a small Chinese boat. Manila condemned the actions as endangering lives and violating international standards of conduct.
China's coastguard said it had driven away multiple vessels and taken "control measures," claiming the Philippine boats entered the waters to provoke incidents. Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said the statement amounted to an admission of wrongdoing.
Coastguard vessels sent to aid the injured fishermen were repeatedly blocked, but eventually reached Sabina Shoal to provide medical care and supplies. The shoal lies 150 kilometres west of Palawan within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a waterway carrying more than US$4.5 trillion in annual trade. Its claims overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that Beijing's sweeping claims had no legal basis under international law, a decision China rejects. The latest clash adds to rising tensions between Manila and Beijing over disputed waters.
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