A Chinese vessel rammed a Philippine fishing boat north of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, killing a Filipino fisherman and leaving four others missing.
The Chinese vessel might have intentionally hit the fishing boat AXL John but immediately left and did nothing to help the fishermen.
The AXL John is the first casualty in the dispute between China and the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal. Manila refers to the area as Panatag Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc.
China News Agency (CNA) reported that a Chinese official had ordered navy ships to target “Filipino vessels that hang around” Scarborough Shoal “and don’t leave.” Rear Adm. Yin Zhuo gave the order in answer to President Aquino’s statement that he would order Philippine vessels back to the shoal if air surveillance found China still had vessels there.