China is using water cannon attacks and an environmental guise in an attempt to legitimize its de facto control over parts of the South China Sea—a strategy that experts warn threatens to weaken regional sovereignty, erode maritime law, and destabilize the Indo-Pacific.
A Philippine ship was targeted by water cannons from Chinese coast guard vessels on Sept. 16 near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
The attack caused “significant damage” to a fisheries vessel, Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for the Philippine coast guard, wrote in a LinkedIn post, adding that a crew member was injured by shattered glass from the water cannon….
China’s Coercive South China Sea Strategy Threatens to Destabilize Indo-Pacific: Experts
