US calls on China to respect high seas freedom

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WASHINGTON, Nov 11, (Agencies): The United States has called on China to uphold the principles of freedom of navigation in international waters, a right guaranteed to all nations under international law. This appeal comes after China obstructed a Philippine resupply mission, resulting in a perilous maneuver and a water cannon attack.

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, declared Washington’s support for the Philippines in the aftermath of a maritime dispute with China near Ayungin Shoal on the morning of November 10. Chinese coast guard vessels had attacked a Philippine boat with a water cannon during the incident.

In a statement on Saturday, Nov 11 (Manila time), Miller asserted, “The United States stands shoulder-to-shoulder with our Philippine ally in the face of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) repeated harassment in the South China Sea.” He criticized China’s actions as “inconsistent with international law” and part of a broader “pattern of dangerous operational behavior in the South China Sea.”

Miller referenced the 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which ruled that China had no lawful territorial or maritime claim to Second Thomas Shoal, known as Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines and Ren’ai Jiao in China. He emphasized that this ruling is legally binding on both the Philippines and China, despite China’s repeated rejection of it.

The spokesperson reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to its Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines. This treaty extends to armed attacks on the Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of the coast guard, anywhere in the South China Sea.

The recent incident involved a dangerous maneuver by Chinese vessels, which subsequently drenched a Philippine resupply boat with a water cannon, claiming infringement on waters it asserted as its own. This marked the second such attack this year, following a similar incident in August. In response, the Philippines lodged its 58th diplomatic protest against China.

Throughout the year, Philippine and US officials have engaged in multiple discussions on how to deter China’s actions in the disputed waters.

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