Manila, Nov 10 (EFE).- The Philippines accused China on Friday of firing a water cannon at a ship carrying supplies to a detachment of Filipino soldiers in the disputed waters in the South China Sea.<\/p>
A Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel “deployed a water cannon against Philippine supply vessel M\/L Kalayaan in an illegal, though unsuccessful attempt to force the latter to alter course,” said the National Security Council of Philippines in a statement.<\/p>
The supply boats were “subject to extremely reckless and dangerous harassment at close proximity by CCG” but the boats reached their destination.<\/p>
The incident comes two weeks after the Philippines summoned the Chinese ambassador in Manila amid escalating tensions after two collisions between vessels from the two countries in a maneuver that Manila called “provocative, irresponsible, and illegal” in the South China Sea.<\/p>
China, for its part, called that incident a “provocation” on the part of the Philippines and accused the US, Manila’s historical ally in the region, of “instigating” the conflict and worsening relations between the two Asian countries.<\/p>
Faced with growing tension with Beijing, the Philippines\u2019 Ministry of Defense announced in October that it would seek to garner greater international support in its territorial dispute with China.<\/p>
China and the Philippines maintain a conflict over the sovereignty of several islands and atolls in the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. Beijing claims these islands almost entirely for \u201chistorical reasons.\u201d<\/p>
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of Manila in its dispute with China over territorial claims. Despite the ruling, Beijing has refused to comply. EFE <\/p>
fsg-esj\/up\/sc<\/p>
<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"