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US, Canada condemn Chinese ships' maneuvers in West Philippine Sea

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Armed Forces of the Philippines" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/10/22/20231022-chinese-ship.jpg"/><figcaption>AFP Western Command</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — The Chinese attempt to block a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal and that led to collisions in the West Philippine Sea has prompted condemnation and concern from diplomats in Manila.The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, which reported the incident that happened earlier Sunday, said Chinese ships came into contact with a Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessel and with a civilian ship contracted for the mission.&quot;The United States condemns [the People&#x27;s Republic of China]&#x27;s latest disruption of a legal Philippine resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal, putting the lives of Filipino service members at risk,&quot; US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said on X.She said the US &quot;stands with our #FriendsPartnersAllies in protecting Philippine sovereignty and in support of a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific.&quot;The Canadian Embassy also condemned what it called &quot;unlawful and dangerous conduct&quot; by the Chinese vessels, which it said were unjustified.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2851650" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div style="text-align:center">Video courtesy of the AFP Western Command</div>&quot;China has no lawful claim to the West Philippine Sea. Its actions are incompatible with the obligations of a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,&quot; it also said.In a statement earlier Sunday, the West Philippine Sea task force said the &quot;dangerous blocking maneuvers” violated Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights as well as international law.The Canadian Embassy meanwhile said it &quot;affirms its support for a rules-based order in the South China Sea consistent with international law, including UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral decision, which is final and binding on the parties.&quot;China did not participate in the arbitral trial and has rejected the 2016 decision. The Ambassador of Japan in the Philippines, for his part, said he is “seriously concerned about and alarmed” by the incident.“Japan strong opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion,” Amabassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbJPNinPH/status/1716027353418395863" target="_blank">posted on X</a>, adding that Japan stands with the Philippines’ position.On Sunday afternoon, the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines said Australia is &quot;concerned by China’s dangerous manoeuvres that damaged Philippine vessels and disrupted a Philippine resupply mission.&quot;&quot;The South China Sea is a vital international waterway for us all. We again call for peace, stability &amp; respect for UNCLOS,&quot; ambassador HK Yu PSM said <a href="https://twitter.com/AusAmbPH/status/1716026234357043527" target="_blank">on X</a>.<div>&#x27;Dangerous and disturbing&#x27;</div>EU Ambassador Luc Véron, reacting to the West Philippine Sea task force statement, said that &quot;[t]hese incidents, their repetition and intensification are dangerous and very disturbing.&quot;Dutch Ambassador Marielle Geraedts called the Chinese Coast Guard&#x27;s maneuvers &quot;another worrying incident.&quot;&quot;Another worrying incident. Glad nobody got hurt. The Netherlands stands with the Philippines 🇵🇭 in its call for the full observance of International Law in the South China Sea,&quot; said Geraedts <a href="https://twitter.com/geraedtsmariel/status/1715981977567044019" target="_blank">on X</a>.The envoys said that the EU and the Netherlands join the Philippines in &quot;its call for the full observance of International Law in the South China Sea.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/22/23/chinese-moves-to-block-resupply-mission-cause-collision-task-force">Chinese moves to block resupply mission cause collision: task force</a></li></ul>The French Embassy in the Philippines, likewise, expressed deep concerns regarding the incident.&quot;France calls for respect of the freedom of navigation guaranteed by international law and recalls its attachment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the decision rendered by the Arbitral Court on July 12, 2016,&quot; the Embassy posted <a href="https://x.com/FrenchEmbassyPH/status/1716036704711381171?s=20" target="_blank">on X</a>.<div>China blames Philippine vessels</div>In an alert on its website, the Chinese Coast Guard said it had &quot;blocked vessels from the Philippines delivering illegal construction materials to the illegally grounded warship on the Ren’ai Reef in accordance with the law.&quot;In a follow-up statement, it said that its ship &quot;intercepted the trespassing Philippine ship (Unaiza May 2) in accordance with the law even though multiple warnings were ineffective.&quot; It also accused the resupply ship of causing the &quot;slight collision.&quot;It also claimed the patrol ship BRP Cabra &quot;deliberately provoked trouble and reversed its vehicle on its own initiative,&quot; which it said caused a collision with &quot;the parked and drifting Qiongsansha Fishing vessel 00003.&quot;The Chinese Coast Guard has been attempting to block Philippine resupply missions, with the Philippine Coast Guard reporting aggressive and dangerous maneuvers by Chinese ships in recent months. China has a sweeping claim over a large part of the South China Sea, including part that is within the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the Philippines.The Philippines has ramped up engagements with the US, including through military exercises, during the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after a cooling of relations during the Duterte administration.Canada, meanwhile, has said the Philippines is at the core of its Indo-Pacific strategy.

The West Philippine Sea task force said the 'dangerous blocking maneuvers” violated Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights.