China, Phillippines trade blame over South China Sea skirmish

The Philippines has said the China Coast Guard used water cannons on two of its vessels, causing damage to one of them, during a patrol near a reef off the Southeast Asian country.

Manila and Beijing have a long history of territorial disputes in the South China Sea, with several collisions involving Filipino and Chinese vessels in recent months, as well as the use of water cannons by the China Coast Guard.

The latest incident on Tuesday happened near the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal, which has become a potential flashpoint, during a mission to resupply Filipino fishermen.

"This damage serves as evidence of the forceful water pressure used by the China Coast Guard in their harassment of the Philippine vessels," a statement issued by the Philippine Coast Guard said.

The China Coast Guard had also reinstalled a 380-metre barrier across the entrance to the shoal, a traditional fishing ground, blocking access to the waters inside, the statement said.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing off rival claims from other countries, including the Philippines, and an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Chinese accusations

China's coast guard said it had "expelled" two Philippine ships from its waters near Huangyan Island, which is the Chinese name for the shoal.

"The China Coast Guard announced it has expelled a Philippines Coast Guard vessel and an official vessel that illegally intruded in waters off China’s Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island) in the South China Sea on Tuesday, under law," Global Times reported.

However, Manila said China’s coast guard used a water cannon in a disputed area of the South China Sea and damaged one of its vessels.

The triangular chain of reefs and rocks that make up Scarborough Shoal lies 240 kilometres west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometres from Hainan, the nearest major Chinese land mass.

China seized the shoal from the Philippines in 2012 and has since deployed the coast guard and other vessels that Manila says harass Philippine ships and prevent its fishermen from accessing the fish-rich lagoon.

Tuesday's incident came as the Philippines and the United States hold a major annual military exercise that has infuriated Beijing.

Manila and Washington have a mutual defence treaty and recent confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels have fuelled speculation of what would trigger it.

Top US officials have repeatedly said that "an armed attack" against Philippine public vessels, aircraft, armed forces or coastguard anywhere in the South China Sea would invoke the treaty.