PH: China Coast Guard fires water cannon at its vessels

MANILA, Philippines: The Philippines said the China Coast Guard fired water cannons Tuesday at two of its vessels, causing damage to one of them, during a patrol near a reef off the Southeast Asian country. The incident happened near the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal, which has become a potential flashpoint in the disputed South China Sea, during a mission to resupply Filipino fishermen. “This damage serves as evidence of the forceful water pressure used by the China Coast Guard in their harassment of the Philippine vessels,” a statement issued by the Philippine Coast Guard said. The China Coast Guard had reinstalled…