U.S. decries China's 'escalatory' acts against Philippines in South China Sea

Washington says Beijing's vessel 'deliberately collided 3 times' with Manila's ship

A Philippine Coast Guard ship is seen surrounded by Chinese maritime militia vessels and a Chinese Coast Guard ship during a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed at a grounded warship in the South China Sea, October 4, 2023. © Reuters

September 1, 2024 17:38 JST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The United States on Saturday condemned "dangerous and escalatory" actions by China against what it called lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea, the State Department said in a statement.

"A China Coast Guard vessel deliberately collided three times with a Philippine Coast Guard vessel exercising its freedom of navigation in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), causing damage to the vessel and jeopardizing the safety of the crew onboard," spokesman Matthew Miller said.

The statement said it was the latest in a series of dangerous and escalatory actions by China in the area throughout August.