The U.S. said that it will defend the Philippines from Chinese aggression.
The warning came after a Chinese coast guard ship allegedly fired a laser at a Philippine vessel in a disputed region of the South China Sea.
- A Chinese coast guard vessel allegedly fired a military-grade laser at a Philippine patrol ship on Feb. 6.
- The vessel was on a resupply mission to Filipino forces on the Second Thomas Shoal, an island in the South China Sea claimed by both Beijing and Manila.
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday that a Philippine coast guard ship trespassed through Chinese waters.
- The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila lodged a protest at the Chinese Embassy on Tuesday, accusing Chinese forces of "shadowing, harassment, dangerous maneuvers, directing of military-grade laser, and illegal radio challenges.”
- U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price accused China of “dangerous operational behavior," and said that “The United States stands with our Philippine allies.”
- He noted that the U.S. had a mutual defense commitment with the Philippines dating back to 1951 that would force the U.S. to defend the country from a Chinese attack.