Chinese Ships Confront Philippine Vessels in Philippine Waters

A group of Philippine vessels sailing in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (eez) were confronted by three Chinese Coast Cuard ships, according to ship-tracking data published by maritime analyst Ray Powell on Tuesday.

The Philippine contingent included two Coast Guard vessels and a civilian patrol vessel escorting a fishing boat. The group was sailing about 60 miles off the coast of the Province of Palawan, well within the Philippines’ eez. Inside this 200-nautical-mile zone, a sovereign nation has exclusive rights to fishing and natural resources.

Hostile expansion: China’s belligerence in the South China Sea is steadily worsening. It uses intimidation and harassment tactics—such as ramming boats and damaging vessels with high-power water cannons—to assert unlawful maritime dominance.

• China’s claims over the South China Sea are unlawful and were dismissed by an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague in 2016.

A Chinese Coast Guard ship fired its water cannon at a Philippine civilian boat near the Second Thomas Shoal in the Philippines’ eez, as shown in footage published on social media Thursday.

Leading to war: China’s efforts to dominate vital waterways in and around the South China Sea grow more menacing by the day. It is determined to establish itself as a superpower, and its violent rise will threaten nations around the world.

To understand where China’s aggression is leading, read Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry’s article “China Is Steering the World Toward War.”