US condemns Chinese-Philippine ship collision

The U.S. White House condemned China’s intentional collision with Chinese and Philippine ships in the South China Sea on the 19th.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo Arno on the 20th (local time) and expressed this position, saying that the Philippine Coast Guard vessel was operating legally in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, the White House said in a press release.

In the phone call, Assistant Secretary Sullivan emphasized the United States’ firm defense commitment to the Philippines in accordance with the mutual defense treaty between the two countries.

Advisors Sullivan and Arno also asked about the decision to provide $500 million in funding to the Philippines according to the U.S. Congress’s supplementary budget for foreign security assistance, and how the additional security assistance will improve cooperation between the U.S. and the Philippines to protect international maritime law in the South China Sea. The White House said they also discussed whether to strengthen it.

Previously, China claimed that the day before, two Philippine coast guard ships illegally entered the waters near ‘Xianbinjiao’ (Chinese name for Sabina Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea) without permission and intentionally collided with its ships.

In response, the Philippines countered that the conflict between the two sides occurred due to China’s illegal maneuver.