Chinese coast guard fires water cannons at Philippine vessels in the latest South China Sea incident

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Chinese coast guard ships have fired water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, damaging both, in the latest flareup in an increasingly tense territorial conflict. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the incident Tuesday off Scarborough Shoal, one of two hotly disputed areas where confrontations between China and the Philippines have flared on and off since last year. Chinese officials did not immediately issue any comment. They have repeatedly insisted on Chinese sovereignty over virtually all of the South China Sea, a key global trade route, and warned they would defend their territory at any cost.