China Patrols Scarborough Shoal, Uses Water Cannons — SkimNews
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- China's military and coast guard patrolled the airspace and waters near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on July 30, according to separate Chinese statements.
- China's Coast Guard said it used verbal warnings, blocking, and water cannon shooting "in accordance with the law and regulations" to expel illegal and harassing vessels.
- Tensions between China and the Philippines have recently flared amid repeated maritime disputes and confrontations in the South China Sea.
- China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its own, despite overlapping claims by South-east Asian nations.
- The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest patrol.
Why it matters: China's water-cannon deployment at Scarborough Shoal directly escalates a long-running flashpoint with the Philippines, one of the most frequent sites of South China Sea confrontation. By combining military and coast guard patrols with physical expulsion tactics, Beijing signals it will not ease its near-total claim to the waterway despite Manila's protests.
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