The United States stands by its ally, the Philippines, and strongly condemns the dangerous and escalatory actions taken by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea on August 31.
A China Coast Guard vessel deliberately collided three times with a Philippine Coast Guard vessel, damaging the vessel and putting the crew’s safety at risk.
“This is the latest in a series of dangerous and escalatory actions by the PRC,” said Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson. “On multiple occasions throughout August 2024, the PRC has aggressively disrupted lawful Philippine aerial and maritime operations in the South China Sea, including at Sabina Shoal.”
Miller emphasized that the PRC’s unlawful claims of “territorial sovereignty” over ocean areas without land territory and its increasingly aggressive enforcement of these claims threaten the freedoms of navigation and overflight for all nations.
The United States reiterated its call for the PRC to align its claims and actions with international law and to cease its dangerous and destabilizing conduct. Furthermore, the U.S. reaffirmed that Article IV of the 1951 United States-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.
