Washington, July 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) The United States condemned what it called China's "dangerous and aggressive actions" against Philippine navy personnel at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, urging Beijing to stop what it described as destabilising behaviour in one of Asia's most contested waterways.
The US "condemns China's dangerous and aggressive actions against Philippine navy personnel at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on July 20, 2026, and calls on China to immediately cease its destabilising conduct," said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
The United States said the latest incident reflected a broader pattern of Chinese actions against Philippine maritime operations.
"China's troubling pattern of provocation against lawful Philippine maritime operations undermines regional peace and stability and directly contradicts China's repeated commitments to resolve disputes peacefully," Pigott said.
The statement did not provide additional details about the confrontation but reiterated Washington's support for its long-standing treaty ally.
"We stand with our Ally, the Philippines, and commend the professionalism and restraint shown by Philippine navy personnel in this incident," Pigott said.
The United States also reaffirmed its backing for the landmark 2016 international arbitration ruling on the South China Sea dispute.
"We reaffirm the July 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, which found that China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea have no basis in international law. That decision is final and legally binding on both China and the Philippines," the statement said.
Washington said it would continue working with regional allies and partners to uphold security and stability across the Indo-Pacific.
"We will continue to stand with our Allies and partners in defense of a free and open Indo-Pacific," Pigott said.
For India, developments in the South China Sea carry strategic significance. A large share of India's trade passes through the broader Indo-Pacific sea lanes, and New Delhi has consistently called for freedom of navigation, unimpeded commerce and the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes in accordance with international law.
Source: IANS
Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.
He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.
When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.
He can be reached at gopi@socialnews.xyz
This website uses cookies.
