Foreign ambassadors to the Philippines on Sunday condemned yet another use of a water cannon by the China Coast Guard against Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
In separate posts on the social media site X (formerly Twitter), diplomats of the United States, European Union, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and France expressed their concerns over the new water cannon incident in the WPS.
"The US stands with the Philippines and partners in vehemently condemning the PRC's (People's Republic of China) repeated illegal and dangerous actions against vessels, including disrupting the resupply mission to the Sierra Madre today," United States Ambassador MaryKay Carlson posted on X.
"PRC aggression undermines regional stability in defiance of a #FreeAndOpenIndo Pacific," Carlson added.
EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Veron described China's use of water cannon towards Philippine vessels as "another deeply troubling incident."
Veron reiterated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which China is a signatory party, has mechanisms to settle disputes and maintain the rule of law.
"The 2016 UNCLOS Tribunal Award is a valuable framework for peaceful resolution," he stressed, referring to the Permanent Court of Arbitration landmark ruling that rejected Beijing's historical claims in the WPS.
"Water cannons and dangerous sea maneuvers aren't a legitimate alternative," he added.
Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko shared the same sentiments over the new water cannon incident in the WPS.
"Gravely concerned about repeated dangerous actions by CCG vessels against Philippine vessels," Koshikawa said.
"Japan stands with the Philippines in support of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. Japan opposes actions that undermine the peace and stability in SCS," he added.
The Republic of Korea Embassy in the Philippines also expressed concern about the recent use of water cannons against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea.
"We reaffirm our strong support for peace, stability, and rules-based order in the South China Sea and for the freedom of navigation and overflight based on the principles of international law, including UNCLOS," the statement read.
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu, likewise, denounced the "dangerous actions" of China towards Philippine vessels.
"Australia remains steadfast in support of UNCLOS and international law," Yu said. "China's further dangerous actions against Philippine vessels today, following yesterday's incident, again risk lives and livelihoods and are deeply concerning."
Meanwhile, Marie Fontanel, French Ambassador to the Philippines, reminded concerned parties about the 41st anniversary of the establishment of the UNCLOS.
"UNCLOS was signed exactly 41 years ago December 10th, 1982. Today more than ever France recalls the value of international law to ensure freedom of navigation and is, once again, seriously concerned by the use of water cannons in the Philippines' EEZ to prevent a resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre," Fontanel said.
On Sunday, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea reported that the China Coast Guard fired a water cannon to obstruct the country's resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal, seriously damaging one of its ships' engines in the process.
The NTF-WPS said CCG and Chinese militia vessels "harassed, blocked, and executed dangerous maneuvers on Philippine civilian vessels, in another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct a routine resupply and rotation mission to BRP Sierra Madre at Avungin Shoal."
The incident happened just a day after the CCG blasted a water cannon at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels in the Scarborough Shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc.
The BFAR ships were en route in a resupply mission to bring supplies to Filipino fishermen in the area.