US condemns ‘escalatory and irresponsible’ China actions in South China Sea

An aerial view shows the BRP Sierra Madre on the contested Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea, March 9, 2023. PCG/Reuters/File Photo

WASHINGTON – The U.S. State Department on Monday condemned what it called “escalatory and irresponsible” actions by China in the South China Sea on Sunday and reaffirmed its support for the Philippines.

China’s coast guard said a Philippine supply ship “deliberately and dangerously” approached a Chinese ship resulting in a slight collision, a charge Manila rejected.

The two nations have traded barbs for months over dangerous maneuvers at the Second Thomas Shoal, an atoll within Manila’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea. China claims the area as its own. — Reuters