WASHINGTON: Following a recent near-collision with a Philippines coast guard vessel in South China sea, the United States has asked China to stop its “provocative and unsafe conduct,” in the disputed waterway, ratcheting up the rhetoric ahead of a visit by the Philippines president to the White House.
Two days before President Joe Biden hosts his Philippine counterpart, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the incident was an instance of China’s “harassment and coercion” of Philippine warships in the disputed sea.
He said, “We call upon China to refrain from its inflammatory and unsafe conduct,” warning that the US would retaliate if the Philippine armed forces were attacked.
Joe Biden has been seeking to improve ties with Asian allies while US-Chinese relations remain historically low. The Philippines is strategically important due to its proximity to important sea lanes and Taiwan.
The latest in a long line of maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines was a close call on Sunday around the Spratly Islands.
Beijing ignores a judgement from an international court that says its claim to sovereignty over practically the entire South China Sea lacks legal support.
After being asked to join two Philippine Coast Guard vessels on a six-day patrol of the waterways, seeing a dozen islands and reefs, journalists were one of several media outlets that saw the occurrence.
The Philippine ships approached Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly archipelago, also called Ren’ai Jiao in China.
A Chinese Coast Guard ship more than twice the size of the BRP Malapascua, which was carrying Filipino journalists, sailed into its path as the boat approached the shoal.
According to the Malapascua’s commanding officer, the Chinese ship got within 45 metres (50 yards) of his boat, and only his rapid actions prevented the steel-hulled ships from colliding.
According to the Chinese foreign ministry on Friday, the Philippine boats had “intruded” without China’s consent, which described the incident as a “premeditated and provocative action.”
Manila pushes back
Manila responded by asserting that “routine operations in our own waters can be neither intentional nor provocative” and that they will keep conducting the patrols.
The near-miss happened the day after Marcos received Qin Gang, China’s foreign minister, for negotiations in Manila to ease tensions in the strait.
Marcos has said he will not allow China to violate the Philippines’ maritime sovereignty and has tended to align himself with the United States to enhance defence relations.
