Philippines Summons China’s Envoy Over Water Cannon Attack

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs summoned Chinese Charge d'affaires Zhou Zhiyong after officials in Manila protested the latest aggressive actions the Chinese Coast Guard made against a Filipino resupply mission in the South China Sea.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza told local media that Assistant Secretary Raphael Hermoso summoned Zhou on Monday (Mar. 25) to protest the incident, as well as instructed the Philippine embassy in Beijing to lodge a similar protest before the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs there.

"In these demarches, the Philippines stressed, among others, that China has no right to be in Ayungin Shoal, a low-tide elevation that lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and as affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award," she said, referring to Second Thomas Shoal, where the dilapidated World War II-era Philippine Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre was deliberately ran aground.

Later that afternoon, local time, Daza released another statement saying that Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa Lazaro had a call with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong earlier that morning, telling the Chinese official the Philippines' "strongest protest" against China's newest aggressive acts in the Spratly Islands.

The diplomatic challenge came a day after Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said that the confrontation wounded three Filipino military personnel and caused severe damage to the vessel they were in, the supply boat Unaizah May 4.

The boat's sister vessels had earlier suffered her fate late last year.

While Año did not reveal the extent and nature of the injuries of the three servicemen aboard the boat, he stated that they were transferred to a Philippine Coast Guard escort ship for emergency treatment at sea, Al Jazeera reported.