The Philippines has accused Chinese coast guard ships of firing water cannons at Filipino fishermen near a disputed site South China Sea Three people were injured and “significant damage” was caused to two fishing vessels.
On Saturday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said that a day earlier, nearly two dozen Filipino fishing boats were attacked near an atoll called Sabina Shoal, part of the country’s 200 km (124 mile) exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
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Manila said fishermen faced high-pressure spray from Chinese water cannons and Chinese ships attempted aggressive blockade maneuvers.
It was the latest in a series of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely as its own despite an international ruling against the claim.
Friday’s incident occurred in a fish-rich area about 150 km (93 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan.
“As a result of these aggressive actions, three Filipino fishermen suffered physical injuries, including bruises and open wounds,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, a spokesman for the Philippine Coast Guard, said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“Two (Filipino fishing boats) also suffered significant damage from high-pressure water cannon blasts.”
According to the Philippine Coast Guard, a Chinese boat also cut the anchor lines of several Philippine ships during the incident, endangering their crews.
“The PCG calls on the Chinese Coast Guard to adhere to internationally recognized standards of conduct and prioritize the preservation of life at sea over law enforcement demands that endanger the lives of innocent fishermen,” it said in a separate statement.
PCG successfully provides assistance to harassed Filipino fishermen at Escoda Shoal amid aggressive actions by Chinese vessels
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) today announced the successful deployment of its multi-role response vessels MRRV-4403 and MRRV-4411 in the area. https://t.co/DW4eXgtjG3 pic.twitter.com/P2QOwRDjbB
— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) December 13, 2025
However, China on Friday defended its measures as necessary to maintain its “territorial sovereignty” over the Sabina Reef, which it refers to by the Chinese name Xianbin Jiao.
In a statement, Chinese coast guard spokesman Liu Dejun said the military’s vessels “took necessary control measures, including issuing verbal warnings and expulsion by external means, in accordance with laws and regulations.”
Dejun accused the Filipino vessels of deliberately entering the shoal “under the pretext of fishing.”
Tarriela told Reuters that the Chinese coast guard’s statement amounted to an admission of wrongdoing.
In Saturday’s statement, the Philippine Coast Guard added that the vessels it deployed to help the injured fishermen were repeatedly prevented from reaching Sabina Shoal.
“Despite these unprofessional and illegal interventions, the PCG managed to reach the fishermen this morning and provide immediate medical attention and essential supplies to the injured,” the statement said.
There has been a history of clashes between Chinese and Philippine ships in the South China Sea, with both sides trying to assert their territorial claims.
A separate incident occurred on Friday in Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal, known in China as Huangyan Dao.
There, the Chinese military said it had also “warned and expelled” several small aircraft from the Philippines that were flying through its airspace.
In October, the Philippines also blamed a Chinese ship deliberately ram one of its government ships in the Spratly Islands, where Beijing has been trying to assert its sovereignty claims for years. Beijing blamed Manila for the incident.
A month earlier, one person was injured when a water cannon from a Chinese Coast Guard ship shattered a window on the bridge of a Fisheries Administration vessel near Scarborough Shoal.
China claims an area in the South China Sea that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, all of which have competing claims.
In 2016, an international court sided with the Philippines and found that China’s claims exceeded the legal limits of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
But China has denounced the ruling and refused to abide by it.
