Chinese ship shoots water cannon at Philippine vessel with CNN crew on board near flashpoint shoal

WAAY ^ | 07/24/2026 | Ivan Watson, Rebecca Wright, Dan Hodge and Yasmin Coles, CNN

[BenLurkin]

Chinese ships fired water cannon at Philippine vessels, including one carrying a CNN crew, near a dangerous flashpoint in the South China Sea on Friday – the third tense confrontation this week in the contested waters.

Besides rich fishing grounds in its lagoon and surrounding waters, there’s seemingly little remarkable about the shoal. But this corner of the world is a deceptively fraught geopolitical hotspot.

Free access to one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes, a mutual defense treaty between the Philippines and the United States, and a steady Chinese push to solidify claims over disputed territories mean one navigational mistake or errant shot could spark serious conflict.

CNN was given exclusive access aboard a vessel belonging to the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, on a mission to resupply fuel for local fishermen near Scarborough Shoal, a sandbar claimed by both Beijing and Manila.

As the Philippine ships approached the shoal on Friday, several larger China Coast Guard ships pulled close enough that CNN’s crew could see the faces of the personnel on board.

“Leave immediately … Otherwise, we will take firm action in accordance with the law,” the China Coast Guard warned over a megaphone. The Chinese ship circled the Philippine vessel continuously, as its water cannon hit the ship.

The South China Sea dispute has been overshadowed by wars elsewhere in recent years but remains a major potential flashpoint for global conflict. Multiple governments are jostling for sovereignty over the waterway, a crucial economic corridor through which one third of global maritime trade passes every year.

The Philippine ships eventually canceled their mission on Friday and headed back to port, citing a developing typhoon in the region...though hours later China Coast Guard ships could be seen in the distance still shadowing the Philippine vessels.

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TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Military/Veterans; TV/Movies
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[caddie]

Cancel all Chinese student visas. Send them home; their schools are more than adequate.

Moratorium on any visas of any kind for Chinese nationals.

Do it now. Stop these people.

Do it now, or prove to us that you are on the take, Mr. President.

[jacknhoo]

OMG, how puerile.