Advertisement
Open Questions | China used water cannons as ‘deterrence’ against Philippine ships, PLA senior colonel Zhou Bo says
- Zhou Bo shares his insights on global and regional challenges, based on long experience in military diplomacy
- Wide-ranging interview covers tensions in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and the PLA’s modernisation
Reading Time:12 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
99+
Senior Colonel Zhou Bo (retired) is a senior fellow with the Centre for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University. He spent four decades with the People’s Liberation Army, mainly in diplomatic roles. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here.
Advertisement
China and the Philippines have been in a row for some time over disputed islands in the South China Sea. Do you see the situation continuing and what is China’s strategy?
China has never used force against the Philippines. Yes the Chinese coastguard used water cannons to dispel the Philippine coastguard, but I think that is deterrence, not a use of force. Historically, it is the Philippine coastguard that has used force to kill innocent Chinese fishermen from the mainland and Taiwan in 2000, 2006 and 2013. Few people seem to remember that, but you can google it to find out.
The Philippines ran a naval ship aground in May 1999 at Renai Jiao (Second Thomas Shoal) on the pretext of “technical difficulties”. In the face of Chinese protests, it made promises to tow away the vessel. But it has not done that. Instead, the Philippines has attempted to build it into a permanent installation.
02:13
Philippines accuses Chinese coastguard of firing water cannons at its vessels in disputed waters
Philippines accuses Chinese coastguard of firing water cannons at its vessels in disputed waters
The Philippines claims that China has threatened to use force to drive away Philippine fishermen from the waters of Scarborough Shoal in spite of their long-standing fishing activities in those waters.
Advertisement
But it was the Philippines that first resorted to the threat of force. In April 2012, they sent a naval vessel to detain and arrest Chinese fishing boats and fishermen in the waters of Scarborough Shoal.
Advertisement