Sky News witnesses confrontation in disputed South China Sea

Sky News has witnessed a confrontation within the South China Sea as a Chinese coastguard used a water cannon on a vessel our journalists had been reporting from.

The incident – which brought about injury to a cover on Philippine Coastguard BRP Bagacay – occurred simply outdoors the Scarborough Shoal.

China claims virtually the whole South China Sea as its personal, together with the Shoal.

Sky’s Asia correspondent Cordelia Lynch was on the BRP Bagacay.

“I’m surrounded by a broken roof because the Chinese coastguard… has been directly firing water cannons at us,” she mentioned.

“This has lengthy been a recreation of brinkmanship between China and the Philippines. They each lay declare to this waterway.

“This is one thing that would simply take a flip for the worst.”

It comes as China’s coastguard mentioned it had “expelled” a Philippine coastguard ship and one other vessel from waters adjoining to the Scarborough Shoal.

This is the most recent incident to occur between the 2 nations on the disputed atoll.

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The two nations have repeatedly clashed in current months on the submerged reef, which the Philippines says is in its unique financial zone however which China additionally claims as its personal.

Both have additionally traded accusations over aggressive manoeuvres there and the Philippines not too long ago summoned a Chinese diplomat over the actions.

“China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea are solidly grounded in international law and pose no threat to any country,” mentioned international affairs spokesman Lin Jian final month.

He claimed the Philippines had escalated the scenario not too long ago by making “infringements and provocations” and spreading disinformation.

The spokesman mentioned China had “firmly safeguarded its own territorial sovereignty” and tried to “handle maritime disputes through dialogue and consultation”.