China Coast Guard Waters Philippine Vessel Amid Marcos' Bid to Reset Ties

The China Coast Guard (CCG) fired a water cannon at a Philippine fishery vessel and conducted dangerous maneuvers against another during a fuel subsidy mission for Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Thursday. This occurred as President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. sought what Malacañang described as a "reset" in relations with Beijing. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that the mission, under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), proceeded despite the encounter. "At approximately 5:54 a.m., CCG 3302 closed to merely 50 meters off the bow of BRP Datu Dumangsil, and at 6:29 a.m., it fired its water cannon at the vessel for more than two minutes, scoring an indirect hit," PCG spokesman Jay Tristan Tarriela said in a Facebook post. He stated that another CCG vessel crossed about 500 meters ahead of the bow of BFAR vessel Datu Paiburong in what he described as a dangerous maneuver. No injuries were reported, and both BFAR vessels completed the distribution of fuel subsidies and food packs to Filipino fishermen. Mr. Tarriela said the PCG also deployed a Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft for a maritime domain awareness flight over the shoal, during which Chinese forces issued a radio challenge while the aircraft was operating within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The PCG reported monitoring three CCG vessels, two Chinese maritime militia vessels, and one People’s Liberation Army Navy ship in the area. Mr. Tarriela said the Chinese actions were intended to force the BFAR vessels to abandon their course. "This is intentional," he said at a livestreamed briefing. "The reason why they’re doing this is that they are threatening a smaller BFAR vessel to change its course and to move farther away from Bajo de Masinloc," he added, using the Philippine name for the shoal. "Despite such muscle flexing… we still proceeded with the mission, and that is to provide fuel subsidy." The PCG reiterated that Bajo de Masinloc is within Philippine territory, citing the 2016 arbitral ruling that affirmed the traditional fishing rights of Filipino fishermen in the area. In a statement posted on the Chinese Embassy’s official Facebook page, the CCG rejected the Philippine account, saying two Philippine government vessels "disregarded China’s repeated dissuasion and warnings" and "deliberately intruded into waters of Huangyan Dao within China’s jurisdiction." CCG spokesman Jiang Lue said Chinese personnel took "necessary measures, including tracking, monitoring, taking control measures and expelling the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law," describing the operations as "professional, standardized, lawful and legitimate." He reiterated Beijing’s stance that Huangyan Dao is Chinese territory and said the CCG would continue law enforcement activities to safeguard China’s maritime rights. Separately, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said Mr. Marcos met Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan on Tuesday and expressed his desire to prevent further confrontations and improve bilateral ties. "The President expressed his desire to ensure that these incidents do not recur and to reset Philippine-China relations toward better engagement," Ms. Castro told a briefing in Filipino. Responding to the envoy’s claim that Manila violated a July 2024 provisional arrangement on Ayungin Shoal, Ms. Castro said the Palace could not confirm the existence of any such agreement. "You should request a copy of the written agreement from him," she said. "We cannot speak on that because those statements did not originate from us." Ms. Castro also rejected suggestions of conflicting positions within the administration, saying Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. and the President were acting within their respective mandates. On Thursday, Mr. Marcos also visited two Philippine Navy personnel injured during a confrontation with the CCG near Second Thomas Shoal and conferred on them the Order of Lapu-Lapu, along with P100,000 in financial assistance each. "President Marcos expresses his gratitude for the heroic courage of our soldiers in defending Philippine waters," Ms. Castro said. "As commander-in-chief, the President emphasizes that the government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are exhausting all measures to support our troops and ensure their safety." — Pexcel John Bacon and Erika Mae P. Sinaking