At least seven countries and the self-governed island of Taiwan have condemned China’s latest act of maritime aggression after a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel used water cannons and dangerously maneuvered against a Philippine government vessel near Sandy Cay 2 (Pag-asa Cay) on Wednesday, May 21.
Joining Taiwan in denouncing the harassment were the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the European Union.
In a rare public statement, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry expressed serious concern over the Chinese Coast Guard’s “dangerous actions” against Philippine civilian vessels, affirming its support for the Philippines. Taiwan also urged all parties to remain calm and resolve disputes peacefully.
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson and Australian Ambassador Hae Kyong Yu both criticized the “reckless” maneuvers of the Chinese vessel, saying they endangered lives and regional stability.
British Ambassador Laure Beaufils called the incident a “worrying escalation of behavior,” while Japan’s envoy expressed alarm over China’s use of water cannons and its increasingly hazardous conduct in the region.
The EU, Netherlands, Canada, and New Zealand also released statements expressing alarm over China’s continued harassment of civilian vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Philippine vessel BRP Datu Sanday was conducting routine scientific sampling and data collection for food security, fisheries management, and marine environmental protection programs when it was intercepted by Chinese Coast Guard vessel 21559. The Chinese vessel reportedly used water cannons twice and made close passes, causing damage to the port bow and smokestack of the Filipino ship, placing civilian personnel at serious risk.
Despite the aggressive and illegal actions of the Chinese ship, the Philippine scientific team, which also included the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, successfully completed their mission at Pag-asa Cays 1, 2, and 3.
The incident is the latest in a series of escalating confrontations in the contested South China Sea, where China continues to assert sweeping territorial claims challenged by several nations and international law.
