Tensions Rise: Armed Personnel on Philippine Vessel in Disputed Waters

China's Coast Guard reported that personnel on a Philippine vessel near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea were armed last month. The area has been a hotspot for escalating maritime disputes between Beijing and Manila for months.

China's Coast Guard discovered that personnel on a Philippine vessel in disputed waters last month "carried guns on deck", Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said in a post on social media on Sunday.

The incident occurred near Scarborough Shoal, it said, an area of the South China Sea where Beijing and Manila have had an escalating maritime dispute for months.