Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the complete South China Sea (File)
Washington:
The US referred to as on China Saturday to cease “provocative and unsafe conduct” within the disputed South China Sea after a latest near-collision with a Philippines coast guard boat there, ramping up rhetoric forward of a go to by the Filipino president to the White Home.
State Division spokesman Matthew Miller, in a press release two days earlier than President Joe Biden is to host his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr., stated the incident was a reminder of China’s “harassment and intimidation” of Philippine vessels within the contested waterway.
“We name upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct,” he stated, including that any assault on Philippine armed forces would set off a US response.
Joe Biden has been working to bolster relations with Asian allies because the US-Chinese language relationship stays in a traditionally deep chill, and the Philippines’ proximity to key sea lanes and Taiwan provides it specific strategic significance.
The near-miss Sunday off the Spratly Islands was the most recent in a protracted string of maritime incidents between China and the Philippines.
Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly the complete South China Sea, ignoring a global ruling that the assertion has no authorized foundation.
– A near-miss –
AFP was considered one of a number of media shops that witnessed the incident after journalists had been invited to affix two Philippine Coast Guard boats on a six-day patrol of the waters, visiting a dozen islands and reefs.
The Philippine vessels approached Second Thomas Shoal, identified in China as Ren’ai Jiao, within the Spratly archipelago.
As one boat, the BRP Malapascua, which was carrying Filipino journalists, neared the shoal, a Chinese language Coast Guard vessel greater than twice its dimension sailed into its path.
AFP journalists watched the incident from the opposite Philippine Coast Guard boat, which was lower than a kilometer (0.6 miles) away.
The Malapascua’s commanding officer stated the Chinese language ship got here inside 45 meters (50 yards) of his boat and solely his fast actions prevented the steel-hulled vessels crashing into one another.
The Chinese language overseas ministry stated Friday that the Philippine boats had “intruded” with out China’s permission and referred to as it a “premeditated and provocative motion.”
– Manila pushes again –
However Manila hit again, saying that “routine patrols in our personal waters will be neither premeditated or provocative” and insisting they may proceed to conduct the patrols.
The near-miss got here only a day after Marcos hosted Chinese language International Minister Qin Gang for talks in Manila geared toward defusing tensions within the waterway.
Marcos has insisted he won’t let China trample on the Philippines’ rights within the sea, and has gravitated towards the US as he seeks to strengthen protection ties.
Early this month, the Philippines recognized 4 further navy bases — along with 5 current websites — to which US forces can have entry, together with one close to the Spratly Islands.
The 2 nations additionally carried out their largest ever navy maneuvers in latest weeks.
This shift has alarmed China, which has accused Washington of making an attempt to drive a wedge between Beijing and Manila.
– ‘Ironclad dedication’ –
US-Philippine ties had been badly frayed beneath Marcos’s predecessor, the authoritarian Rodrigo Duterte.
Marcos has sought to allay public fears that the reviving alliance with the US might convey the Philippines into the battle if China had been to invade Taiwan.
He has stated that with Biden he’ll focus on the “must tone down the rhetoric” over the South China Sea, Taiwan and North Korea.
White Home spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre stated earlier within the month that Biden meant, within the assembly with Marcos, to “reaffirm the US’ ironclad dedication to the protection of the Philippines.”
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)