China Rams and Water-Cannons Philippine Ships at Scarborough During Balikatan

Three CCG cutters rammed and water-cannoned a joint Philippine Coast Guard/Bureau of Fisheries mission (BRP Bagacay + BRP Datu Bankaw) near Scarborough Shoal on April 30—while Balikatan 2024 exercises were still underway. One vessel was hit by water cannon ~12 nautical miles from the shoal, another ~1,000 yards from the shoal. The timing during the US-Philippines military exercises was widely seen as a deliberate escalation by Beijing.