SpaceWar.com reports: “China’s coast guard has become more aggressive towards Philippine vessels in the South China Sea and its water cannon attacks could threaten the lives of crew, a government spokesman in Manila warned Wednesday.

A series of high-seas incidents involving the two countries have injured a number of Philippine troops in recent months as the neighbours asserted rival claims over waters, reefs and rocks in the strategic waterway.

In the latest incident on Tuesday, the Philippines said one of its coast guard vessels and another government boat sustained damage from water cannon fired by the China Coast Guard near Scarborough Shoal.

The water pressure was far more powerful than in previous incidents, and tore or bent metal sections and equipment on the Philippine vessels, said coast guard Commodore Jay Tarriela, Manila’s spokesman on the South China Sea.

‘Obviously that would be very fatal,’ the official said, describing the water pressure as 200 pounds per square inch (14 kilograms per square centimetre).

However he said there were no casualties this time as the crew were ordered to take shelter inside…”