US, Japan, Australia hit China over Philippine ship ramming

MANILA, Philippines — The United States condemned what it described as China’s “dangerous” conduct against the Philippines, after a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel deliberately rammed a Philippine ship at Escoda Shoal on Saturday.

“The United States stands with its ally, the Philippines, and condemns the dangerous and escalatory actions by the People’s Republic of China against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the vicinity of Sabina (Escoda) Shoal in the South China Sea (SCS) on Aug. 31,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said yesterday in a statement.

A CCG vessel deliberately collided three times with Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua – which was exercising its freedom of navigation in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) – causing damage to the ship and jeopardizing the safety of the crew onboard.

The latest collision was the fifth maritime confrontation in a month.

“This is the latest in a series of dangerous and escalatory actions by the PRC. On multiple occasions throughout August 2024, the PRC has aggressively disrupted lawful Philippine aerial and maritime operations in the South China Sea, including at Sabina Shoal,” Miller said.

Washington reiterated its call  on China to “comport its claims and actions with international law and to desist from dangerous and destabilizing conduct.”

The State Department warned that China’s unlawful claims of “territorial sovereignty” over ocean areas where no land territory exists, and its increasingly aggressive actions to enforce them, “threaten the freedoms of navigation and overflight of all nations.”

The US repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

“The United States reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea,” Miller said.

The BRP Teresa Magbanua has been in Escoda Shoal since April to prevent suspected reclamation by China, following the discovery made by marine science researchers from the University of the