The United States on Monday stated it stood with the Philippines after Manila accused China’s coast guard of utilizing a laser to attempt to disrupt a resupply mission to troops within the South China Sea.
“The United States stands with our Philippine allies in the face of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Coast Guard’s reported use of laser devices against the crew of a Philippine Coast Guard ship on February 6 in the South China Sea,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price stated in an announcement.
“The PRC’s conduct was provocative and unsafe, resulting in the temporary blindness of the crewmembers of the BRP Malapascua and interfering with the Philippines’ lawful operations in and around Second Thomas Shoal. More broadly, the PRC’s dangerous operational behavior directly threatens regional peace and stability, infringes upon freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as guaranteed under international law, and undermines the rules-based international order,” he added.
“As reflected in an international tribunal’s legally binding decision issued in July 2016, the People’s Republic of China has no lawful maritime claims to Second Thomas Shoal. The United States reiterates, pursuant to the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, the 2016 arbitral decision is final and legally binding on the PRC and the Philippines, and we call upon the PRC to abide by the ruling,” Price stated.
“The United States stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rules-based international maritime order and reaffirms an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of the Coast Guard in the South China Sea, would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S. Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” he stated.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) earlier stated the incident came about on February 6 close to Ayungin Shoal, which China calls Ren’ai Reef.
The PCG on Monday accused a Chinese coast guard (CCG) vessel with bow quantity 5205 of pointing a “military-grade” laser mild at PCG vessel BRP Malapascua which was on a navy rotation and resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal within the West Philippine Sea.
China’s international ministry stated its coast guard carried out actions in response to the legislation.
China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Monday stated the PCG vessel “intruded into the waters off the Ren’ai Reef without Chinese permission.”
Wang maintained that Ren’ai Reef is a part of China’s Nansha Islands or what the Philippines refers to as Spratly Islands.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) then again on Monday referred to as on the Chinese authorities to manage its forces after the incident.
“The Secretary of National Defense has already declared or said that the act committed by the Coast Guard of China is offensive and unsafe,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar informed reporters.
“Therefore, I think it is time for the Chinese government to restrain its forces so that it does not commit any provocative act that will endanger [the] lives of people,” he added. —Reuters/KG, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
