US condemns China’s latest aggression in WPS

MANILA, Philippines — The United States on Saturday denounced China’s latest assault in the West Philippine Sea and vowed to uphold its defense commitments with Manila.

The Philippines reported on Saturday that the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) blocked and damaged a Filipino supply boat with water cannons while it was on its way to Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal), causing injuries to personnel onboard.

“The United States stands with its ally the Philippines and condemns the dangerous actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea on March 23,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. 

“This incident marks only the latest in the PRC’s repeated obstruction of Philippine vessels’ exercise of high seas freedom of navigation and disruption of supply lines to this longstanding outpost,” he added. 

The latest confrontation between Philippine and Chinese vessels came four days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Manila and said that the US stood by its “ironclad” commitment to defend its longtime ally against armed attack in the South China Sea. 

Miller reaffirmed this commitment, saying the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft—including those of its Coast Guard—anywhere in South China.

The State Department official also called on Beijing to abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected its expansive maritime claims as having no basis. China does not recognize and accept the tribunal’s decision. 

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea stressed the government “will not be deterred—by veil threats or hostility—from exercising our legal rights over our maritime zones.” — with reports from Agence France-Presse