China coast guard blocks Philippine boats in disputed sea

JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Chinese coast guard ships have blocked and used water cannons on two Philippine supply boats heading to a disputed shoal occupied by Filipino marines in the South China Sea. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Thursday that the Philippine government was outraged and had protested to China over the incident near the Second Thomas Shoal, which lies off western Palawan province in the Philippines’ internationally recognized exclusive economic zone. Locsin said in a tweet that the three Chinese coast guard ships’ actions were illegal and he asked them “to back off.” Nobody was hurt in the incident but the two boats aborted their resupply mission.