The governments of Canada and the United Kingdom both condemned the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) latest water cannon attack on a civilian Philippine vessel last Tuesday.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman castigated Beijing for its hostile posturing, which led to the injury of a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) employee.
“Canada strongly opposes China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea and calls on parties to respect UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” he said.
“We are concerned by China’s dangerous use of water cannons at the Scarborough Shoal that injured a civilian @bfarph officer supporting Filipino fishers,” he added.
Likewise, the British Embassy in Manila expressed ‘deep’ concern about the aggressive actions of Chinese vessels, noting that ‘such conduct risks miscalculation, endangers lives at sea, and undermines regional stability’.
“We urge all parties to uphold international law, including UNCLOS, and to respect freedom of navigation. Dialogue and restraint are essential to avoid further tensions,” a statement in X reads.
On Wednesday, US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson also condemned the attack.
To recall, tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) heated up anew on September 16 when two CCG ships fired water cannons at a BFAR vessel near Scarborough Shoal, also called Bajo de Masinloc, which, aside from injuring a BFAR crew member, also supposedly led to a minor collision between the opposing vessels.
Previously, Canada and the UK also condemned China’s establishment of a so-called “nature reserve” at the disputed shoal.
