SUMMARY
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Thursday, May 2, demanded that Chinese ships leave Panatag Shoal and its vicinity “immediately,” two days after China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels used high-pressure water cannons against two Philippine government vessels.
The Philippines made the demand when the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned Chinese embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong over the April 30 incident.
The DFA, in particular, protested the “harassment, ramming, swarming, shadowing and blocking, dangerous maneuvers, use of water cannons, and other aggressive actions” of the CCG against the vessels and crew of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
“China’s aggressive actions, particularly its water cannon use, caused…