The confrontation happened as Philippine supply boats and escort ships attempted to deliver food to forces near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

The Chinese coast guard assaulted three Philippine vessels with water cannon blasts Sunday and rammed one of them, causing serious engine damage off a disputed shoal in the South China Sea just a day after similar hostilities at another shoal, the Philippine coast guard said.

The latest confrontation happened near Second Thomas Shoal as two Philippine navy-operated supply boats and Philippine coast guard escort ships were en route to deliver food and other supplies to Filipino forces in a long-marooned navy ship that serves as a territorial outpost, said a coast guard spokesman, Commodore Jay Tarriela.

No other details were provided. Drone video footage and photographs issued by the Philippine coast guard show two Chinese coast guard ships separately blasting water cannons at close range at a Philippine coast guard patrol ship, BRP Cabra, and a smaller supply boat.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    42
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    11 months ago

    I realize this is a serious situation, but I can’t help but be amused by the idea of navies essentially shooting each other with squirt guns.

        • Maalus@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          11 months ago

          Because China will yell “ESCALATION!!! SEEE THEY ARE ATTACKING US” and come back with actual warships and bullets next time.

          • avater@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            11 months ago

            and? classic case of fuck around and find out. Maybe it’s time to show dictatorships like china that their actions can have consequences…

            • Wade@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              6
              ·
              11 months ago

              The US is already busy supporting two other wars right now. I doubt the Philippines wants to push their luck on how much support we would be willing/able to provide.

              • DoomBot5@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                11 months ago

                Don’t forgot that’s the Atlantic carrier groups supporting those efforts. The Pacific carrier groups are still in that area. The US Navy can posture much better than China can if they wanted to.

    • Furball@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      11 months ago

      China has a weird thing with fighting over disputes without weapons. In the Himalayas the Chinese and Indians semi-regularly clash with sticks or baseball bats. There are videos and they are amazing.

      • MisterFrog@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        15
        ·
        11 months ago

        Pretty sure this is because both sides agreed to not carry firearms in those areas. I’d guess to prevent a full-scale war breaking out

        • Furball@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          11 months ago

          Yes this is why. They agreed not to use firearms on their border, but still clash anyways, just with different weapons

            • paradiso@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              11 months ago

              Anything can be a weapon. Guns happen to make pretty effective weapons, more so than sticks.

              • set_secret@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                11 months ago

                That was my initial point, however many (i’m assuming Americans) are so psychologically broken,they consider anything not a gun to be not a weapon, as the initial comment i responded to implied. the downvotes only serve to confirm this bizzare phenomenon.