Chinese water cannon damages ship in new South China Sea flare-up, Philippines says

China’s coast guard fired water cannons that damaged a Philippine vessel on Tuesday. The incident occurred near Scarborough Shoal, a Chinese-controlled rocky outcrop in the South China Sea. Video footage captured the Chinese vessels firing water cannons at the Philippine ship. The Philippine Coast Guard ship sustained damage, but there were no reported injuries. Beijing claims ownership over most of the South China Sea, defying an international court ruling. Scarborough Shoal is a strategic reef and fishing ground, and China has maintained a coast guard presence there since 2012. This is the latest flare-up of violence in the disputed South China Sea.