US says China intimidates Philippine vessels in South China Sea | South China Sea Information

The US has accused China of “harassment and intimidation of Philippine vessels” and referred to as on Beijing to finish “provocative” motion in the South China Sea after a latest near-collision between a Chinese language vessel and a Philippine Coast Guard boat.

“We name upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct,” US State Division spokesperson Matthew Miller stated in a press release on Saturday, simply two days earlier than President Joe Biden is to host his counterpart, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, in Washington, DC.

The State Division additionally warned that an assault on Philippine safety forces or public vessels would set off a US response.

“The US stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rules-based worldwide maritime order and reaffirms that an armed assault within the Pacific, which incorporates the South China Sea, on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or plane, together with these of the Coast Guard, would invoke US mutual protection commitments,” Miller stated within the assertion.

We stand with our Philippine allies within the face of the Individuals’s Republic of China’s continued harassment and intimidation within the South China Sea. We name upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct. https://t.co/BnYghZyWGC

— Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) April 29, 2023

The US was responding to a near-miss between Chinese language and Philippine vessels off the Spratly Islands — the most recent in an extended string of maritime incidents between the 2 international locations within the restive South China Sea.

The Philippines on Friday accused China’s coast guard of “aggressive techniques” following an incident throughout a Philippine Coast Guard patrol near the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal within the Spratly archipelago, a flashpoint for earlier altercations situated 105 nautical miles (195km) off its coast.

The Second Thomas Shoal is residence to a small Philippine army contingent on board a rusty World Struggle Two-era US ship that was deliberately grounded in 1999 to strengthen the Philippines’s territorial claims within the South China Sea.

Beijing claims sovereignty over virtually the complete South China Sea, ignoring a global ruling that the assertion has no authorized foundation.

Reporters with the AFP information company have been amongst employees from a number of media retailers that witnessed the latest incident after journalists have been invited to hitch two Philippine Coast Guard boats on a six-day patrol of the waters, visiting a dozen islands and reefs.

The Philippine vessels approached Second Thomas Shoal, recognized in China as Ren’ai Jiao. As one boat, the BRP Malapascua, which was carrying Filipino journalists, neared the shoal, a Chinese language Coast Guard vessel greater than twice its dimension sailed into its path. The Malapascua’s commanding officer stated the Chinese language ship got here inside 45 metres (150ft) of his boat, and solely his fast actions prevented the steel-hulled vessels crashing into one another.

The Chinese language international ministry stated on Friday that the Philippine boats had “intruded” with out China’s permission and referred to as it a “premeditated and provocative motion”.

Manila responded, saying that “routine patrols in our personal waters will be neither premeditated or provocative” and insisting they’ll proceed to conduct the patrols.

Philippine President Marcos has insisted he is not going to let China undermine his nation’s rights within the sea and has gravitated in direction of the US as he seeks to strengthen defence ties with Washington within the face of an more and more aggressive China regionally.

This shift has alarmed China, which has accused Washington of making an attempt to drive a wedge between Beijing and Manila.

‘Ethical and sensible assist for the Philippines’

Marcos is because of arrive within the US on Sunday for a four-day go to that Philippines officers say is geared toward reaffirming the particular relationship between Manila and Washington, who’re longtime allies.

A senior US administration official advised the Reuters information company that it was unattainable to underestimate the strategic significance of the Philippines, though the connection was extra than simply about safety.

“We’re searching for to not be provocative, however to supply each ethical and sensible assist for the Philippines as they attempt to make their method in a fancy Western Pacific,” the official stated. “Their geographic place is important,” he added.

Consultants say Washington sees the Philippines as a possible location for rockets, missiles and artillery methods to counter a Chinese language amphibious invasion of Taiwan, which China claims as its personal territory.

US Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin stated after the primary mixed assembly of prime US and Philippines defence officers earlier this month that it was “too early” to debate what property the US want to station at bases within the Philippines.

It’s a delicate difficulty for Manila, not solely due to its considerations about China, its foremost buying and selling accomplice, however given home opposition to US army presence previously.

The 2 sides did agree to finish a street map in coming months for the supply of US defence help to Manila over the following 5 to 10 years.