The US has reiterated its commitment to defend the Philippines after a fresh clash with China at sea

MANILA, Philippines – The United States renewed a warning Tuesday that it is obligated to protect its close treaty ally, a day after Filipino navy personnel were injured and their supply boats damaged in the deadliest clash between the Philippines and China in a disputed shoal. in the South China Sea, officials said.

China and the Philippines blamed each other for provoking Monday's hostilities at Thomas II Shoal, which has been seized by a small Filipino navy team aboard a grounded warship that has been closely monitored by the Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia vessels for a year. There are fears that the standoff could further escalate disputes seen as Asian flashpoints and turn the US and China into a larger conflict against each other.

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell discussed China's move by telephone with his Philippine counterpart Maria Theresa Lazaro. Both agreed that China's “dangerous actions threaten regional peace and stability,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

Campbell reaffirmed that the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obliges Washington and Manila to help defend the other in major conflicts, “extends armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels or aircraft — including its coast guard — anywhere south of China.” ocean,” according to Miller.

A Philippine government task force overseeing the territorial dispute condemned what it said were “dangerous tactics including ramming and towing” that disrupted regular efforts by Filipinos to transport food, water and other supplies to regional outposts held by the BRP in the Sierra Madre. shoal

“Despite the illegal, aggressive and reckless actions of the Chinese navy, our personnel showed restraint and professionalism, refrained from escalating tensions and continued their mission,” the Philippine task force said without elaborating. “Their actions put the lives of our personnel at risk and damaged our boats in clear violation of international law.”

The Chinese coast guard said the Philippines was “fully responsible for this.” It said a Philippine vessel “disregarded China's repeated warnings … and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in an unprofessional manner in normal navigation, resulting in a collision.”

Two speedboats – trying to deliver construction materials and other supplies to a military vessel based on the shoal – were with the supply ship, according to China's foreign ministry, which described its coast guard's tactics as “professional, restrained, reasonable and lawful”.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Monday night that his country's armed forces will counter China's “dangerous and reckless behavior,” which is “contrary to their statement of good faith and decency.”

“We will do our utmost to fulfill our sworn mandate to protect our territorial integrity, sovereignty and sovereign rights,” Teodoro said. “It should now be clear to the international community that China's actions are a real obstacle to peace and stability in the South China Sea.”

Several incidents have occurred in recent months near the shoal, which is less than 200 nautical miles from the nearest Philippine coast and where it maintains the Sierra Madre, which has rusted since it was deliberately grounded in 1999 but remains an actively commissioned military. ship, meaning that attacking it could be considered an act of war by the Philippines.

China has become increasingly determined to assert its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, leading to an increasing number of direct conflicts with other countries in the region, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam.

A new Chinese law, which took effect Saturday, allows its coast guard to seize foreign vessels “illegally entering China's territorial waters” and detain foreign crews for 60 days. The law renews a reference to a 2021 law that says China's coast guard can fire on foreign ships if necessary.

At least three coastal governments with territorial claims – the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan – have said they will not recognize the law. Malaysia and Brunei are embroiled in a long-running territorial dispute, which is seen as a subtle fault line in the long-standing US-China rivalry in the region.