US slams China for injuring Filipino fisherfolk near Escoda Shoal

MANILA, Philippines – The United States’ Department of State condemned China on Sunday, December 14 (Monday, December 15, Manila time) after it used water cannons against Filipino fisherfolk and cut their anchor lines in the West Philippine Sea.

“These aggressive actions endangered Filipinos fishing for their livelihoods. We stand with our Philippine allies as they confront China’s provocative actions and increasingly dangerous tactics against its neighbors, which undermine regional stability,” said State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a statement.

The State Department’s remarks come after Washington’s envoy to Manila, Ambassador MaryKay Carlson, hit China for threatening the lives of Filipino fisherfolk.

“China Coast Guard’s aggressive tactics — water cannoning and cutting anchor lines — against Filipino fishers at Sabina Shoal threaten lives and livelihoods,” said Carlson in a social media post on Sunday.

“We strongly condemn these illegal actions and applaud [the Philippine Coast Guard] for aiding fishers and defending [Philippine] sovereign rights,” she added. 

In a separate post, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman said Ottawa is “seriously concerned by the Chinese Coast Guard aggressive actions against Filipino civilian fishing vessels near Sabina Shoal” and that “these actions jeopardize regional peace and stability.”

“Disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law,” said Hartman in a social media post. 

Marc Innes-Brown, Australian ambassador to the Philippines, said in a post on X that “Australia is seriously concerned by the Chinese Coast Guard’s aggressive actions against Philippine fishers near Sabina Shoal, which injured civilians and caused damage to vessels.”

“We call for restraint and respect for international law, particularly UNCLOS,” he added, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Japan’s envoy to the Philippines, Endo Kazuya, said in a post on social media: “Japan is gravely concerned over the dangerous and aggressive actions by China in Sabina Shoal which resulted in injuries to [Filipino] fishermen and damage to their fishing boats. [Japan] upholds the rule of law and reiterates the opposition to any actions which increase tensions.”

The US, Australia, Japan, and Canada are close defense partners of the Philippines. Manila has had a Visiting Forces Agreement or VFA with Washington for decades, and a Status of the Visiting Forces Agreement or SOVFA with Canberra since 2012. It also signed a Reciprocal Access Agreement or RAA with Japan in 2024 and a SOVFA with Canada in 2025. A VFA, SOVFA, or RAA facilitate the entry of one nation’s armed forces into another, for joint training exercises and humanitarian response operations. 

The United States is also the Philippines’ sole treaty ally, with the Mutual Defense Treaty obliging both countries to come to each other’s defense in the event of an attack, including in the West Philippine Sea, a part of the South China Sea where the Philippines should enjoy sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“Deeply concerned that the Chinese Coast Guard targeted Filipino fisherfolk with water cannons in the South China Sea, inflicting injuries. Such actions endanger lives and risk escalation. We call for an end to dangerous tactics in the SCS and urge respect for international law,” said British Ambassador to the Philippines Sarah Hulton in an X post.

The Philippines is expected to begin negotiations with the United Kingdom for a SOVFA.

The European Union, in a statement from its spokesperson, said China’s actions “threatened the safety of life at sea, causing injury to civilians, and undermined the lawful exercise of maritime rights.”

“The European Union recalls that [UNCLOS] is the legal framework governing all activities in the oceans and seas, which should be upheld and respected at all times. The 2016 Arbitral Award is final and legally binding on the parties concerned. The EU calls for de-escalation of tensions and expects China to exercise restraint, refrain from the use of force or coercion, and resolve disputes peacefully, in full respect of international law,” said its spokesperson.

On Friday, December 12, the China Coast Guard used water cannons against over a dozen, much smaller Filipino fishing boats near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal. The CCG also used blocking maneuvers against the fishermen, which in the open seas would mean a high risk for collision and injury. 

A CCG ship also cut the anchor lines of several of the Filipino boats, said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). At least three Filipino fisherfolk needed first aid as a result of China’s actions. 

It was the first time for the Philippine government to make public an incident where the CCG used water cannons against Filipino fisherfolk. The CCG, as well as the Chinese Maritime Militia, had long harassed PCG and other Philippine government vessels through water cannons and dangerous maneuvers.  

Beijing earlier said it took “control measures” in driving away several Philippine vessels. The PCG had deployed its ships to help the Filipino fisherfolk, who were stopped from accessing Escoda Shoal, a feature within the Philippines’ EEZ, located just under 100 nautical miles away from Palawan province. 

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that affirmed the Philippines’ EEZ and found China’s claims to be baseless. The South China Sea is a crucial waterway where up to a third of global trade passes through. 

Beijing’s claims and Manila’s promise to defend its sovereignty has meant a rise in tensions between the two countries in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in several flashpoints including Escoda Shoal, the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal, and the Philippine-manned Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. – Rappler.com