The United States has condemned an incident involving Chinese vessels and a Philippine government ship near Thitu Island in the South China Sea. On October 12, a vessel from the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources was reportedly rammed and targeted with water cannons by Chinese forces.
In a statement, the U.S. government said: "The United States condemns China’s October 12 ramming and water cannoning of a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel close to Thitu Island in the South China Sea. We stand with our Philippine allies as they confront China’s dangerous actions which undermine regional stability. China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea and its increasingly coercive actions to advance them at the expense of its neighbors continue to undermine regional stability and fly in the face of its prior commitments to resolve disputes peacefully."
The U.S. also reiterated its commitment under Article IV of the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, stating: "The United States reaffirms 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."
This incident comes amid ongoing tensions over territorial claims in the South China Sea, where multiple countries have competing interests.
