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US condemns China's latest sea attacks vs Philippines

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Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1711246922078Screenshot 2024-03-24 at 10.20.31 AM.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Screen grab from Armed Forces of the Philippines video</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">MANILA — The United States has condemned </span><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;float:none;display:inline !important">China&#x27;s latest agression in the South China Sea against Philipine vessels and reaffirmed</span><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"> its commitment to the mutual defense pact with Manila. <br/></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">&quot;The United States stands with its ally the Philippines and condemns the dangerous actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea on March 23,&quot; </span><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;float:none;display:inline !important">US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement Saturday.</span><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><br/></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><a class="fr-green" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/23/china-coast-guard-used-water-cannon-on-resupply-boat-afp-2143" id="isPasted">China Coast Guard used water cannon on resupply boat — AFP</a></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">Miller said that the &quot;US-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.&quot;</span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">On Saturday, Chinese vessels yet again used water cannon against a civilian vessel chartered to resupply Philippine troops on the BRP Sierra Madre, a commissioned Philippine Navy ship on Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.<br/></span></div><div style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">The West Philippine Sea is the part of the South China Sea within the Philippines&#x27; exclusive economic zone.<br/></span></div><div style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">In a post on X that included videos of the incident, the AFP said the China Coast Guard directed water cannon at the Unaiza May 4, a ship that had previously been damaged by water cannon while on the same mission.<br/></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">Miller said China&#x27;s</span><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:-0.25px;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;float:none;display:inline !important"> actions were &quot;destabilizing to the region&quot; and showed &quot;clear disregard for international law.&quot;</span><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><br/></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">The Philippines stands by a 2016 the Hague ruling that found that China&#x27;s sweeping nine-dash line claim over a large part of the South China Sea has no basis.<br/></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><a class="fr-green" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/13/why-philippines-uses-civilian-boat-for-its-ayungin-shoal-resupply-missions-1226" id="isPasted">Why Philippines uses civilian boat for its resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal</a><br/></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">&quot;</span><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:-0.25px;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;float:none;display:inline !important">As provided under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, the 2016 arbitral decision is final and legally binding on the PRC and the Philippines,&quot; <span id="isPasted" style="letter-spacing:-0.25px;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;float:none;display:inline !important">Miller said.</span></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"></span><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:-0.25px;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;float:none;display:inline !important">&quot;And the United States calls upon the PRC to abide by the ruling and desist from its dangerous and destabilizing conduct.&quot;</span><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><br/></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">China in turn accused the Philippine ships of &quot;illegally&quot; intruding into what it says is its sovereign waters. It also accused a Philippine vessel of intentionally ramming its own.</span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0)">The US, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other security partners have called out previous attempts by Chinese vessels to impede Philippine boats in the West Philippines with aggressive maneuvers and water cannon.</span></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BJMVFFTtTSk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The United States condemned China's latest agression in the South China Sea against Philipine vessels and reaffirmed its commitment to the mutual defense pact with Manila.</p>

The United States condemned China's latest agression in the South China Sea against Philipine vessels and reaffirmed its commitment to the mutual defense pact with Manila.