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I strongly condemn the unnecessary, insensitive and irresponsible action made by the Chinese Coast Guard on June 17 by patently ramming our mission ship near Ayungin Shoal.
MANILA: The United States renewed a warning Tuesday that it's obligated to defend its close treaty ally a day after Filipino navy personnel were injured, and their supply boats damaged in one of the most serious confrontations between the Philippines and China in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, officials said. China and the Philippines blamed each other for instigating Monday's hostilities in the Second Thomas Shoal, which has been occupied by a small Filipino navy contingent aboard a grounded warship that's been closely watched by Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships in a yearslong territorial standoff.There is fear the disputes, long regarded as an Asian flashpoint, could escalate and pit the United States and China in a larger conflict. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell discussed China's actions with Philippine counterpart, Maria Theresa Lazaro, in a telephone call. Both agreed that China's "dangerous actions threatened regional peace and stability," state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. Campbell reaffirmed that the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty, which obligates Washington and Manila to help defend the other in major conflicts, "extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft - including those of its coast guard - anywhere in the South China Sea," according to Miller. A Philippine government task force overseeing the territorial disputes condemned what it said were "dangerous manoeuvres, including ramming and towing," which disrupted a routine effort to transport food, water and other supplies to the Filipinos manning the territorial outpost aboard the BRP Sierra Madre at the shoal.
MANILA, Philippines — The latest attempt by China Coast Guard to block the delivery of food and provisions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal last Monday left at least eight Filipinos injured – with one losing a finger – and several others disarmed and their inflatable boats punctured by the Chinese, according to military sources.
MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino seafarer of bulk cargo carrier M/V Tutor was killed when Yemeni Houthi rebels attacked the vessel last week, the White House confirmed on Monday, as it called the action “terrorism.”
BEIJING: China and the Philippines traded accusations over a maritime collision in the South China Sea on Monday, the latest in an increasingly testy series of confrontations over the disputed waters. Meanwhile, hours later, the United States said in a statement it had completed joint naval exercises in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with its treaty ally as well as Japan and Canada. China's Coast Guard said a Philippine supply ship "deliberately and dangerously" approached a Chinese ship resulting in a slight collision after it "illegally intruded" into waters near Second Thomas Shoal, a charge that Manila rejected as "deceptive and misleading". Manila declined to comment directly on the incident, but lashed out at Beijing after a Chinese coast guard statement said the Philippine transport and replenishment ship ignored China's repeated solemn warnings.
I am deeply outraged and extremely troubled by these latest hostile actions by the China Coast Guard near Ayungin Shoal. This is an unacceptable act of aggression, a direct affront to our sovereignty, and a blatant violation of our rights under international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:09 p.m.) — The US and other nations have condemned the actions of Chinese maritime forces in the West Philippine Sea during a routine resupply mission by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to the BRP Sierra Madre.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States renewed a warning Tuesday that it’s obligated to defend its close treaty ally a day after Filipino navy personnel were injured and their supply boats damaged in one of the most serious confrontations between the Philippines and China in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, officials said.