New Delhi, Oct. 13 -- Chinese coast guard ships used powerful water cannons on Sunday and rammed and slightly damaged an anchored Philippine government vessel off an island inhabited by Filipinos in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine coast guard said.

There were no injuries among Filipino crewmen of the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, part of the fisheries fleet that provides support to Filipino fishermen. The Chinese coast guard targeted Pagbuaya off the Philippines-occupied Thitu island in the latest flare-up of the long-simmering territorial disputes involving Manila, Beijing and four other governments.

Two other Philippine fisheries vessels were targeted with water cannons in Sunday's faceoff, which occurred at least 1.6 nautical miles...