A China Coast Guard vessel fired a water cannon at a ship of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources delivering fuel to Filipino fisherman at Scarborough Shoal on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard said

Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, Coast Guard spokesman for the West Philippines, said a China Coast Guard fired its water cannon at BRP Datu Dumangsil for more than two minutes, scoring an indirect hit. Despite the harassment, the Philippine government ships completed giving fuel and food packs to fishing boats in the area of Scarbough Shoal.

Chinese newspaper Global Times reported in its online edition two Philippine government vessels, ''despite repeated dissuasion and warnings from the Chinese side, deliberately intruded into waters under China’s jurisdiction around Huangyan Dao (the Chinese name of Scarborough Shoal), China Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lüe said on Thursday.

''The China Coast Guard (CCG) took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including tracking and driving away the Philippine vessels, as well as conducting interception and control operations. The on-site operations were professional, standardized, justified and lawful,'' the newspaper said.

This was the second incident that Philippine and Chinese ships were involved in a sea row at the West Philippine Sea since Monday when two Navymen were injured when Chinese Coast Guard ships tried to stop Philippine vessels as they approached a grounded World War II ship at Ayungin Shoal.

On Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan at the Palace to say that these incidents should not happen again.

The incident took place as the Philippines is hosting the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers Meeting and dialogue partners, which China is part of. On Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Ma. Teresa Lazaro met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the summit.

It was not known if the Philippines will file a diplomatic protest against China. PHS