Ships Collide and China Fires Water Cannon at Philippines Vessels as Spat Escalates in South China Sea

A China Coast Guard ship fires a water cannon at a vessel from the Philippines fisheries department. Video via the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea hit their most dangerous point of the year this weekend, with Chinese ships using water cannons and colliding against smaller Filipino vessels.

Chinese boats also employed what the Philippines said was a Long-Range Acoustic Device, “causing severe temporary discomfort and incapacitation to some Filipino crew.”

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