The Philippines accused China’s coast guard on Tuesday of firing water cannon at government ships taking supplies to fishermen at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, but Beijing said its “control measures” followed the boats’ intrusions in its waters.

The incident was the two countries’ latest run-in regarding the Scarborough shoal, a fishing ground within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone that China claims as its territory.

“We urge the Philippines to immediately cease its violations,” Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for China’s coast guard, said in a statement.

Two Philippine ships “invaded the waters” near Scarborough Shoal, it added, prompting what the Chinese side called “control measures”.

The Philippine fisheries bureau said its vessels were on a routine mission to resupply fishermen when three Chinese coast guard (CCG) ships and a People’s Liberation Army-Navy vessel approached at close distance and shadowed their movement.

“The CCG vessels attempted to impede the mission … but were unsuccessful,” it said in a statement. “The CCG vessels also opened and directed their water cannons, but this failed to reach the Philippine civilian boats.”

The Philippine vessels were the Datu Cabaylo and the Datu Sunday, it added.

The Scarborough Shoal, named for a British ship grounded on the atoll nearly three centuries ago, is one of Asia’s most contested maritime features and a flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups over sovereignty and fishing rights.

China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, including areas claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The incident comes as leaders of the ASEAN regional grouping gathered in Laos for a summit at which the Philippines was expected to raise the issue of tension in the South China Sea.

(Reuters)