China Injured Filipino Fishermen in Contested Sea, Manila Says

By Ditas B Lopez

Dec 13, 2025(Bloomberg) –The Philippines said Chinese coast guard and maritime militia ships fired water cannons and used “dangerous blocking maneuvers” toward Filipino fishing boats in the South China Sea, an incident that could fuel tensions between the two nations.

The episode took place on Friday as the fishing boats were “operating lawfully” in the vicinity of Sabina Shoal in the disputed waters, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement on Saturday. The region is known as Escoda Shoal in the Philippines, and referred to by China as the Xianbin Reef.

Three fishermen sustained open wounds and bruises, and two of 20 targeted vessels incurred “significant” damage, the coast guard said. 

Rigid-hull inflatable boats from China “deliberately cut the anchor lines” of several fishing boats, “endangering the vessels and their crews amid strong currents and high waves,” according to the statement.

Beijing continues to assert expansive claims over the South China Sea, a strategic and resource-rich waterway, despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated those efforts. The region is believed to hold vast oil and gas reserves, and trillions of dollars in global trade travel through the area each year.

Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for China’s coast guard, said multiple groups of Philippine vessels disregarded repeated warnings from the Chinese ships. 

“The China Coast Guard took necessary control measures against the Philippine vessels, including issuing warnings and forcing them to leave, in accordance with laws and regulations,” Liu said in a statement on Friday. “The China Coast Guard will continue to conduct law enforcement activities in waters under Chinese jurisdiction, resolutely safeguarding national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.”

The Philippine Coast Guard said it deployed two multi-role response vessels to the vicinity to provide support to the affected fishermen. 

Those vessels encountered repeated blocking and dangerous maneuvers, the coast guard said. One Chinese vessel approached to within 35 yards (32 meters) of a Philippine Coast Guard ship during the night before the latter successfully reached the fishermen on Saturday morning, it said.

The Philippine vessels are currently staying in close proximity to the fishing fleet to ensure their security and safety, and has supplied fuel and food to support their ongoing fishing activities. 

© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.

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This article contains reporting from Bloomberg, published under license.

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