US, Allies Voice Concerns After Chinese, Philippine Vessels Collide Again in South China Sea

Chinese vessels fired water cannons and sideswiped Philippine ships in two hotly contested areas in the South China Sea, Filipino officials said.

In this image made from a video provided by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, a Chinese coast guard vessel, left, fires a powerful water cannon on a Philippine bureau of fisheries vessel near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea on Dec. 4, 2024. National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea via AP

The United States and several allies denounced the Chinese regime’s maneuvers as dangerous on Dec. 4 after Filipino officials reported that Chinese vessels fired water cannons and sideswiped Philippine patrolling ships in two hotly contested areas of the South China Sea.

MaryKay Carlson, the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, said that the “unlawful use of water cannons” and “dangerous maneuvers” by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) disrupted a Philippine maritime operation and put the lives of those on board at risk.