The United States has expressed its support for the Philippines following a recent incident involving the Chinese People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN). A Chinese helicopter reportedly approached within three meters of a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Resources plane during a routine overflight near Scarborough Reef. This close encounter endangered both the aircraft and its crew.
This incident is part of a pattern, as it follows another event on February 11, where China executed an unsafe maneuver that put an Australian aircraft at risk during a maritime patrol in the South China Sea.
A U.S. statement emphasized: "Reckless Chinese actions such as these are a threat to navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and we will continue to support our allies and partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific." The U.S. urged China to avoid coercive measures and to resolve disputes peacefully under international law.
The United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951 includes provisions for defense against armed attacks on Philippine forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those operated by the Coast Guard, anywhere in the South China Sea.
