The US State Department condemned China’s “dangerous and aggressive actions” in a statement on Monday, following a skirmish with the Philippine navy in the South China Sea in which a Philippine coast guard was injured.
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“China’s concerning pattern of provocations against the Philippines’ legitimate maritime operations undermines regional peace and stability and directly contradicts China’s repeated commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” the State Department argued.
The head of American diplomacy Marco Rubio arrived in Manila on Tuesday morning as part of the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), where he announced that he could meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
The Philippine military accused the Chinese coast guard of injuring a Filipino sailor on Monday as they approached an outpost in a disputed area in the South China Sea.
The Chinese coast guard reacted to these accusations in a statement, calling the version presented by Manila a “complete reversal of the truth”.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, an important crossroads of commercial maritime routes, to the dismay of several neighboring countries, despite an international decision deeming its position without legal basis.
