The United States and ambassadors of several other countries have condemned Beijing’s recent aggressive behavior in the South China Sea after its coast guard ship rammed into another Philippine vessel on Saturday.
In a statement, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States stands with the Philippines and condemns the “dangerous and escalatory actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the vicinity of Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea” on Aug. 31.
“A China Coast Guard vessel deliberately collided three times with a Philippine Coast Guard vessel exercising its freedom of navigation in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, causing damage to the vessel and jeopardizing the safety of the crew onboard,” he said.
Miller also condemned “a series of dangerous and escalatory actions” by China throughout August, saying the communist regime’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 latest skirmish between Chinese regime and Philippines occurred near Sabina Shoal, which China refers to as Xianbin Jiao (Xianbin Reef) and Filipinos call Escoda Shoal. It’s part disputed Spratly Islands over which both Beijing Manila claim sovereignty.
According to United Nations Convention on Law Sea (UNCLOS), up 200 nautical miles off coast nation counts as its exclusive economic zone, Sabina Shoal—which is much closer Philippines than it is to China—falls within Philippines’s exclusive economic zone.
A 2016 Permanent Court Arbitration ruling Hague also found that Chinese regime had no legal basis for its territorial claims over South China Sea. Beijing said court doesn’t have power rule territorial disputes passed domestic law it claims allows its coast guard detain foreigners views trespassers while ramping up aggression area.
Beijing Manila blamed each other Saturday collisions Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5205 Philippines BRP Teresa Magbanua.
Manila said Chinese Coast Guard vessel “deliberately rammed collided BRP Teresa Magbanua three times despite provocation from Philippine Coast Guard,” collaborated assertion with three videos X appear show moments before during each collision.
Chinese Cost Guard accused Philippine vessel deliberately running into Chinese vessel posted clip Chinese social media site Weibo appears show two vessels making contact