Philippines Says China Coast Guard Fired Water Cannon,’Sideswiped’ Govt Vessel

A China Coast Guard vessel side-swiped a Philippines government vessel near Sandy Cay in the South China Sea on May 22, 2025. Image via the Philippines Coast Guard.

The Philippines fisheries bureau accused the China Coast Guard on Thursday of firing water cannon and sideswiping a Filipino government vessel while it collected sand for a research project.

China and the Philippines have engaged in months of confrontations in the contested South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely, despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.

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