By Mardiyyah Abubakar
The United States has strongly condemned China over what it described as “dangerous and aggressive” actions against Philippine naval personnel during a fresh confrontation in the disputed South China Sea.
The clash occurred on Monday near the Second Thomas Shoal, where Philippine authorities alleged that a Chinese Coast Guard officer repeatedly struck a Filipino sailor with a wooden baton and damaged a Philippine Navy rubber boat during the encounter.
Reacting to the incident, US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to its treaty ally.
“We stand with our ally, the Philippines,” Pigott said, urging Beijing to immediately halt what he described as destabilising actions in the contested waters.
The latest confrontation comes just ahead of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, where the South China Sea dispute is expected to dominate discussions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are both expected to attend.
The Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, remains one of the region’s most volatile flashpoints.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 international arbitral ruling that invalidated its expansive claims.
Philippine military officials said the confrontation took place near the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded naval vessel that serves as Manila’s outpost on the shoal.
They alleged that a Chinese inflatable boat carrying eight personnel approached the area and became aggressive after Philippine forces attempted to push it back.
China, however, rejected the Philippine account, accusing Manila’s forces of illegally deploying boats from the BRP Sierra Madre, ignoring repeated warnings and ramming a Chinese patrol vessel. Beijing also claimed Filipino personnel attacked Chinese officers with oars and long sticks.
The incident adds to a series of confrontations in the disputed waterway, where Philippine authorities have repeatedly accused Chinese vessels of using water cannons, lasers and dangerous manoeuvres to obstruct resupply missions since 2023.
The standoff also underscores the significance of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Philippines, under which Washington could provide military support if an armed attack on Philippine forces occurs.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, Wang Yi is expected to hold talks with Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, while Rubio is scheduled to meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with the South China Sea dispute set to feature prominently on the agenda.
