The News Feed is curated by CGSP’s editors in Asia and Africa.
CGSP Staff
CGSP Staff
CGSP Staff
CGSP Staff
CGSP Staff
Han Zhen
Han Zhen
The Philippines said one person was injured Tuesday when a water cannon attack by a China Coast Guard vessel shattered a window on the bridge of a fisheries bureau ship near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.
Two Chinese ships used water cannons while in pursuit of the BRP Datu Gumbay Piang as it delivered rations to Filipino fishermen near the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal, a Philippine Coast Guard spokesman said in a statement.
The incident is the latest in a series of confrontations between China and the Philippines in the crucial waterway, which Beijing claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.
"This aggressive action lasted for about 29 minutes, resulting in significant damage, including shattered glass from the aft window of the bridge" and "damage to the captain's cabin partitions," said Commodore Jay Tarriela.
A crewmember of the Filipino vessel "sustained injuries due to the shattered glass caused by the water cannon", said Tarriela, the coast guard's spokesman for South China Sea issues.
A picture released by the Philippine coast guard showed a man with what appeared to be a lacerated ear.
The China Coast Guard on Tuesday evening released its own statement saying the Philippine ship had "deliberately rammed" a Chinese vessel.
Chinese ships had "taken control measures" on multiple vessels that had "insisted on illegally invading China's territorial waters of Huangyan Dao", China's name for the Scarborough Shoal, they said.
An accompanying video showed the Philippine vessel -- caught between two China Coast Guard ships -- making contact with one of the Chinese ships after it was hit by the water cannon.
Tariella said the Filipino boat later sailed to a "safer position" away from the shoal following the encounter, which caused a short circuit aboard the vessel.
More than 60 percent of global maritime trade passes through the South China Sea.
Last month, a Chinese navy vessel collided with one from its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine patrol boat near Scarborough Shoal.
China seized control of the fish-rich shoal from the Philippines after a lengthy standoff in 2012.
Australia and Papua New Guinea will not sign a long-awaited mutual defense treaty as expected on Wednesday, the two countries said.
The deal was set to see the two nations commit to defending each other from armed attacks as they face "emerging threats" to their security, according to a copy seen by AFP.
It was expected to be signed by leaders Anthony Albanese and James Marape on Wednesday in Port Moresby.
But the two sides instead said the signing would take place "following Cabinet processes in both countries".
The joint communique did not detail the reason for the delay, although Albanese previously said the approval by the Papua New Guinean cabinet due Monday had been delayed by the country's independence celebrations.
The two sides agreed to "strengthening and expanding defence cooperation through enhanced capability, interoperability and integration", the statement said.
And the treaty will ensure that "any activities, agreements or arrangements with third parties would not compromise the ability of either of the Parties to implement the Treaty" -- a nod to China's growing influence in the Pacific.
The agreement, which also enables the nations' citizens to serve in each other's militaries, came 50 years after Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia.
Canberra has stepped up its engagement with the Pacific region in a bid to counter Beijing's influence.
Albanese was in Vanuatu last week to discuss a deal aimed at deepening Australia's links to the Pacific nation.
But the agreement was not signed, with Prime Minister Jotham Napat citing concerns that its wording would limit Vanuatu's ability to access funds for "critical infrastructure" from other nations.
CGSP Staff
Eric Olander
Eric Olander
Han Zhen
Han Zhen
Special Report
Indonesia’s China-Backed Nickel-to-Battery Ambition
Data Tool
Track cobalt mining and processing in the DRC
Data Tool
The CGSP China-Africa Energy Tracker : trace Chinese energy projects by type
CGSP Intelligence gives you the information advantage on Chinese activities in the Global South. CGSP Intelligence is launching in Summer 2025, with analysis and a full set of data tools designed for corporate and enterprise leaders.
