Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Philippines Protests Chinese Water Cannon Attack The Philippines is demanding an explanation from Beijing, after the Chinese coast guard allegedly fired a water cannon at Filipinos fishing in a disputed area of the South China Sea. Philippine President Benigno Aquino said Tuesday he does not want to overreact to what may be a "one-off incident," but would like to know whether the case reflects a new Chinese policy. Manila`s defense ministry says the incident happened on January 27 near the Scarborough Shoal, an uninhabited, rocky outcrop that has become a flashpoint in military tensions between both countries. It is not clear whether anyone was hurt in the incident. China`s foreign ministry did not respond to the accusation, only stressing that it has "indisputable sovereignty" over the South China Sea. Earlier this year, China rattled its neighbors by demanding all foreign fishing vessels ask permission to enter more than half of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer South China Sea. Parts of the resource-rich, strategic waterway are also claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. In 2012, China and the Philippines were engaged in a tense standoff over the Scarborough Shoal. Manila eventually withdrew its ships, but took the dispute to the United Nations International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea. This angered Beijing, which prefers to solve the maritime disputes with one-on-one discussions and not international arbitration or multilateral forums. __________________________________________________________________ [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/philippines-protests-chinese-water-ca nnon-attack/1858531.html References 1. http://www.voanews.com/content/philippines-protests-chinese-water-cannon-attack/1858531.html