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The latest water cannon incident involving the Chinese Coast Guard is no reason to start a battle, an analyst said Thursday, adding the Philippine government and its ally, the United States, have other options under the Mutual Defense Treaty.

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Latest China water cannon incident no reason to start battle: maritime expert

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

<p>The latest water cannon incident involving the Chinese Coast Guard is no reason to start a battle, an analyst said Thursday, adding the Philippine government and its ally, the United States, have other options under the Mutual Defense Treaty.</p><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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</style><p>The Philippines said Tuesday that China Coast Guard vessels caused two collisions with Philippine vessels and water cannoned a boat, leaving four crew injured during a resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea.</p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2978029"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/6/marcos-sees-chinese-actions-in-south-china-sea-with-great-alarm-1756" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marcos sees Chinese actions in South China Sea with &#x27;great alarm&#x27;</a></div><p>The incidents happened in waters around Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands where the countries have contesting maritime claims.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yung latest water cannon incident sa West Philippine Sea, may nasaktan dahil nabasagan ng windshield. Hindi po &#x27;yun dahilan para mag-umpisa ng bakbakan sa ngayon,&quot; Atty. Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.</p><p>(In the latest water cannon incident in the West Philippine Sea, someone was hurt after the windshield (on one of the vessels) was broken. That is not a reason to start a battle for now.)</p><p>He said that under the Mutual Defense Treaty, the US is bound to defend the Philippines only if there is an armed attack on Philippine ships, troops and aircraft. </p><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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</style><p>&quot;&#x27;Yung paggamit ng water cannon hindi pa umaabot sa armed attack na sinasabi (The use of water cannon does not reach the level of an armed attack),&quot; he said.</p><p>Dr. Renato de Castro, foreign policy expert and professor of the Dela Salle University Department of International Studies, earlier aired a similar opinion but noted the US and Philippine defense officials could be in consultation for a possible solution.</p><p>Added Batongbacal: &quot;Hindi pwedeng bawat hakbang mo ay ipinapaalam mo sa kabila (You cannot transmit your every step to the other side.)&quot; </p><p>De Castro said the latest water cannon incident is an &quot;elevation&quot; of China&#x27;s aggression, including harassment, dangerous manuevers and collisions. </p><p> The foreign policy expert noted China is using their Coast Guard to assert maritime expansion in the Philippines&#x27; territorial waters.</p><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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</style><p>He noted the People&#x27;s Liberation Army and Navy recently decommissioned their war ships, painted them white and used them as Coast Guard vessels. </p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yung kanilang Coast Guard vessel dating navy ships &#x27;yan at armado &#x27;yan (Their Coast Guard vessels at former Navy ships. Those are armed),&quot; he said. </p><p>He said that in 2021, the People&#x27;s National Congress of China also released a coast guard law allowing the use of force to repel &quot;trespassers.&quot;</p><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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</style><p>China claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from a host of Southeast Asian nations and an international ruling that has declared its stance baseless.</p><p>Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo has called on China to &quot;stop harassing us&quot; as he defended Manila&#x27;s strategy of publicizing Chinese maneuvers in the South China Sea.  With Agence France-Presse</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/28/marcos-chinese-warships-near-bajo-de-masinloc-worrisome-1023" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marcos says Chinese warships near Bajo de Masinloc &#x27;worrisome&#x27;</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/4/china-may-be-surveying-ph-rise-for-resources-submarines-analyst-1801" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">China may be surveying PH Rise for resources, submarines: analyst</a></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The latest water cannon incident involving the Chinese Coast Guard is no reason to start a battle, an analyst said Thursday, adding the Philippine government and its ally, the United States, have other options under the Mutual Defense Treaty.</p>