“The United States condemns the dangerous and aggressive actions of China against the Philippine Navy personnel in the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, carried out on July 20, 2026, and urges China to immediately cease its destabilizing behavior,” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a statement.
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“The troubling nature of China’s provocations against legitimate Philippine maritime operations harms regional peace and stability and directly contradicts China’s repeated commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” added T. Pigott.
This statement was released as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila on Tuesday to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers’ talks.
Before departing, M. Rubio said he was open to the possibility of meeting with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of this meeting.
The Philippine military accused the Chinese coast guard of beating a Filipino sailor with a baton when the Chinese approached a ship grounded on a shoal in disputed waters.
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The Philippine report states that a Chinese boat with eight men circled and photographed the ship “BRP Sierra Madre.”
The confrontation occurred after two rubber boats were sent to drive away the Chinese group, according to the Philippine statement.
China claims nearly the entire important waterway despite an international court ruling that its claims have no legal basis, and often encounters Philippine vessels in the area.
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