Filipino sailor injured in South China Sea incident – ​​US fears danger of “far more violent” confrontation

The White House condemned China on Monday for what the Philippines called the “intentional ramming of one of its supply vessels at high speed” by the Chinese coast guard in the South China Sea. A Filipino sailor was seriously injured in the collision, the Philippine military said.

“We are deeply concerned about the injuries sustained by the Filipino sailor and of course wish him well in his recovery,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday. “This behavior (by China) is provocative, reckless, unnecessary and could lead to misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to something much larger and more violent.”

The Philippines and China accused each other of causing the confrontation, which involved a Philippine naval vessel carrying supplies for a small group of soldiers on a stranded warship in the Second Thomas Reef, which has long been seen as a flashpoint that could trigger a larger crisis. Conflict between the USA and China.

There is a mutual defense treaty between the United States and the Philippines that requires the two countries to help each other in the event of a major conflict.

On Tuesday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell spoke by phone with his Philippine counterpart and both reiterated that the treaty “covers armed attacks on Philippine forces, public vessels or aircraft – including the Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea.”

In recent months, there have been several incidents near the sandbar where the Philippine military maintains a deliberately grounded Philippine warship called the Sierra Madre. An attack on the ship could be considered an act of war by the Philippines.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said after the incident on Monday that the Philippine armed forces would oppose China’s “dangerous and reckless behavior” that “runs counter to its declarations of good faith and decency.”

China is increasingly laying claim to almost the entire South China Sea, which has led to tensions with other countries that also lay claim to these waters, including the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

A new Chinese law that came into force on Saturday empowers China’s coast guard to intercept foreign vessels “illegally entering Chinese territorial waters” and detain foreign crews for up to 60 days, Reuters news agency reported.