The Philippines has lodged its “strongest protest” against Beijing over a water cannon assault by the Chinese coast guard that injured Filipino navy crew members and damaged their boat in the disputed South China Sea.
The Philippines lodged its “strongest protest” against Beijing on Monday and summoned a senior Chinese diplomat over a water cannon assault by the Chinese coast guard that injured Filipino navy crew members and heavily damaged their boat in the disputed South China Sea, officials said.
In response, China warned that relations were at a crossroads and the Philippines should choose a prudent path forward.
Two Chinese coast guard ships hit a Philippine navy-operated supply boat with water cannons Saturday in the latest and most serious confrontation between the rival Asian claimants near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, which is surrounded by Chinese vessels in a bid to dislodge Philippine forces from there.
The United States, the European Union, Japan, Australia and about 16 other countries have expressed support to the Philippines and the rule of law, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila.
I was unfamiliar with the geography so I looked it up on a map. It's crazy that China is making claims to the water. It's over 700 miles from China but only 120 miles from the Philippines.
It would be like Canada making territorial claims to the water around Bermuda.
Given their global network of secret police stations, global hacking, espionage, intellectual property theft and other shenanigans, the debt trap scheme that is the belt and road initiative, etc. pp. they are doing far more than just being a dangerous nuisance to neighboring countries. What's worse is that any time they are being called out, they and their sycophants are pulling the sinophobia card or using the age-old defense of what's indefensible, whataboutism.