China fires water cannons at Philippine ships in South China Sea

China fired water cannons at Philippine ships in the South China Sea, escalating tensions as ASEAN foreign ministers met in Manila. On Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard said Chinese coast guard vessels carried out dangerous manoeuvres and used water cannons against Philippine vessels delivering fuel subsidies to Filipino fishermen and conducting routine patrols at Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc), within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. This marked the third incident in a week, with no injuries reported and four vessels completing their mission. The coast guard said 12 China Coast Guard vessels and three Chinese maritime militia vessels were involved; two Philippine ships were hit by water cannons and two faced manoeuvres risking collisions. ASEAN ministers urged all sides to reduce tensions and finalize a code of conduct to prevent conflict, after further clashes near Second Thomas Shoal and another water-cannon incident on Thursday.