The United States and several of its allies condemned China over what they said were dangerous actions by Chinese coast guard vessels after they collided with Philippine coast guard vessels in the South China Sea.
The incident happened in the early hours of Aug. 19 near the Sabina Shoal, with Beijing and Manila accusing each other of being responsible for the collisions.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel criticized China for its actions against “lawful Philippine maritime operations” in an Aug. 19 statement.
“PRC [People’s Republic of China] ships employed reckless maneuvers, deliberately colliding with two Philippine Coast Guard ships, causing structural damage and jeopardizing the safety of the crew onboard,” Patel said.
The collision occurred about 20 nautical miles southeast of the Escoda Shoal, which is a part of the South China Sea that the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea. The Sabina Shaol is located near the Second Thomas Shoal.
The latest incident marks renewed geopolitical tension between China and the Philippines, following a short reprieve since the two sides inked a provisional agreement at the Second Thomas Shoal in July. Earlier this month, the Philippines announced it would lodge a diplomatic protest with China after two Chinese fighter jets deployed fares in the path of a Philippine patrol plane.
Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general at the National Security Council of the Philippines, said on Monday that the two Philippine coast guard patrol boats, BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) and BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-441), were on a resupply mission for the Philippine outposts at Patag and Lawak islands in the Spratly Islands. The two boats were rammed by Chinese coast guard vessels and suffered structural damage, he said.
“These actions are the latest examples of the PRC using dangerous and escalatory measures to enforce its expansive and unlawful South China Sea maritime claims,” Patel said. He called on China to abide by international law and desist from “dangerous and destabilizing conduct.”
Malaya said the United States reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 U.S.–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.”
International Condemnation
Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, and the UK condemned China’s latest maritime actions.
Australia’s ambassador to the Philippines, HK Yu, wrote in a post on social media platform X that China’s actions undermine efforts to de-escalate tensions.
David Hartman, Canada’s ambassador to the Philippines, condemned the “irresponsible and dangerous maneuvers of the China Coast Guard” in an X post.
“These actions are inconsistent with China’s obligations under international law and undermine efforts to de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea,” Hartman wrote.
Japan’s ambassador to the Philippines, Endo Kazuya, said in an X post that Tokyo does not tolerate harassment and actions that “increase tensions or disturb navigational rights.”
Kazuya added that Japan “stands with [the Philiphines] by upholding rules-based order and peaceful settlement of disputes based on [international] law.”
Earlier this month, Australia, Canada, the Philippines, and the United States held a two-day “multilateral maritime cooperative activity” within Manila’s exclusive economic zones. The drill was aimed at showing the four nations’ “collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” according to a statement from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Manila continued its criticism of Beijing over the collision on Tuesday. Alexander Lopez, a spokesperson for the country’s maritime council, expressed “serious concern over the deliberate harassment and infringement by China” on the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights in the South China Sea.
In July, Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to President Joe Biden over their concerns regarding China’s use of force against the Philippines in the South China Sea.
The lawmakers asked Biden to provide a “full list of military, diplomatic, and economic options developed by the Departments of State and Defense to support the Philippines and deter further escalation by the PRC.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
