This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. The Philippines said that Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannons at two of its ships on Tuesday, causing some damage  in the latest confrontation near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The shoal, called Bajo De Masinloc in the Philippines and Huangyan Dao in China, is within the Philippine exclusive economic zone but is under de-facto control by China. Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said in a statement that the Philippine coast guard ship BRP Bagacay and fishery patrol ship BRP Bankaw were carrying out “a legitimate maritime patrol” in the waters near the shoal. “During the patrol, the Philippine vessels encountered dangerous maneuvers and obstruction from four China Coast Guard vessels and six Chinese maritime militia vessels,” Tarriela said. Chinese vessels fired water cannons at the BRP Bankaw first, and afterwards at the BRP Bagacay, causing damage to both ships, he said. Philippine media reported that Chinese coast guard ship 3305 also collided with the BRP Bankaw, damaging its railings. A video clip released by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the BRP Bagacay being shot at with powerful streams of water by Chinese vessels 3105 and 5303. As a result, the Philippine ship’s suffered damage to its railing and canopy.  “This damage serves as evidence of the forceful water pressure used by the China Coast Guard in their harassment of the Philippine vessels,” the Philippine spokesman said, adding that the Philippine ships continued their maritime patrol despite the harassment. The Chinese Coast Guard has also installed a 380-meter floating barrier that covers the entire entrance of the shoal, “effectively restricting access to the area,” Tarriela noted. Chinese spy ship China Coast Guard Spokesperson Gan Yu said that on April 30, Philippine Coast Guard

China Crossed Biden’s Red Line On Ukraine, So What? Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com, It’s ridiculous to have red lines if you are not going to do anything when they are crossed. So what should Biden do? China Has Crossed Biden’s Red Line on Ukraine A Wall Street Journal Op-Ed moans China Has Crossed Biden’s Red Line on Ukraine. President Biden warned China two years ago not to provide “material support” for Russia’s war in Ukraine. On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken conceded that Xi Jinping ignored that warning. China, Mr. Blinken said, was “overwhelmingly the No. 1 supplier” of Russia’s military industrial base, with the “material effect” of having fundamentally changed the course of the war. Whatever Mr. Biden chooses to do next will be momentous for global security and stability. Mr. Biden can either enforce his red line through sanctions or other means, or he can signal a collapse of American resolve by applying merely symbolic penalties. Beijing and its strategic partners in Moscow, Tehran, Pyongyang and Caracas would surely interpret half-hearted enforcement as a green light to deepen their campaign of global chaos. Mr. Xi sees a historic opportunity here to undermine the West. What sanctions? On Who? On What? For How Long? Op-ed writer Matt Pottinger provided no details, he just wants action. He needs to explain what sanctions make any sense at all, and how they would work. Numerous US sanctions on Russia, China, Iran, all failed. Hell some of them on Russia and China not only failed they backfired. So funny. Adding to my post on red lines and sanction failures. — Mike “Mish” Shedlock (@MishGEA) May 1, 2024 How China Gets Around US Sanctions on Semiconductors On February 18, 2024, I explained How China Gets Around US Sanctions on Semiconductors How Russia Makes a Mockery of US Sanctions