Philippines says fishermen hurt, boats damaged by China in South China Sea

MANILA — The Philippine coast guard said on Saturday that three Filipino fishermen had been wounded and two fishing vessels suffered “significant damage” when Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannon in a disputed South China Sea shoal.

Manila’s coast guard said nearly two dozen Filipino fishing boats near Sabina Shoal were targeted with water cannon and blocking manoeuvres on Friday. A small Chinese coast guard boat also cut the anchor lines of several Filipino boats, endangering their crews, it said.

“The PCG calls on the Chinese Coast Guard to adhere to internationally recognised standards of conduct, prioritising the preservation of life at sea over pretensions of law enforcement that jeopardize the lives of innocent fishermen,” Manila’s coast guard said in a statement.

China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours. On Friday, China’s coast guard said it had driven away multiple Philippine vessels and taken “control measures”.

That statement, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said on Saturday, was an admission of wrongdoing.

“They admitted this evil wrongdoing to ordinary Filipino fishermen,” Mr. Tarriela said by phone.

The Philippine coast guard vessels it deployed to aid the injured fishermen were also blocked repeatedly from reaching Sabina Shoal.

“Despite these unprofessional and unlawful interferences, the PCG successfully reached the fishermen this morning and provided immediate medical attention to the injured, along with essential supplies,” the statement said.

Sabina Shoal, which China refers to as Xianbin Reef and the Philippines as the Escoda Shoal, lies in the Philippine exclusive economic zone 150 km (95 miles) west of Palawan province.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a waterway carrying more than $3 trillion of annual commerce. The areas it claims cut into the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

An international arbitral tribunal ruled in 2016 that Beijing’s sweeping claims had no basis under international law, a decision China rejects. — Reuters