The confrontation happened as Philippine supply boats and escort ships attempted to deliver food to forces near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

The Chinese coast guard assaulted three Philippine vessels with water cannon blasts Sunday and rammed one of them, causing serious engine damage off a disputed shoal in the South China Sea just a day after similar hostilities at another shoal, the Philippine coast guard said.

The latest confrontation happened near Second Thomas Shoal as two Philippine navy-operated supply boats and Philippine coast guard escort ships were en route to deliver food and other supplies to Filipino forces in a long-marooned navy ship that serves as a territorial outpost, said a coast guard spokesman, Commodore Jay Tarriela.

No other details were provided. Drone video footage and photographs issued by the Philippine coast guard show two Chinese coast guard ships separately blasting water cannons at close range at a Philippine coast guard patrol ship, BRP Cabra, and a smaller supply boat.

  • Furball@sh.itjust.works
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    11 months ago

    China has a weird thing with fighting over disputes without weapons. In the Himalayas the Chinese and Indians semi-regularly clash with sticks or baseball bats. There are videos and they are amazing.

    • MisterFrog@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Pretty sure this is because both sides agreed to not carry firearms in those areas. I’d guess to prevent a full-scale war breaking out

      • Furball@sh.itjust.works
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        11 months ago

        Yes this is why. They agreed not to use firearms on their border, but still clash anyways, just with different weapons

          • paradiso@lemm.ee
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            11 months ago

            Anything can be a weapon. Guns happen to make pretty effective weapons, more so than sticks.

            • set_secret@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              That was my initial point, however many (i’m assuming Americans) are so psychologically broken,they consider anything not a gun to be not a weapon, as the initial comment i responded to implied. the downvotes only serve to confirm this bizzare phenomenon.