The United States has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to its ally, the Philippines, following a concerning escalation of unsafe and aggressive maneuvers by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) in the South China Sea. Washington strongly condemns these actions and calls on Beijing to cease coercive behavior that endangers regional stability and international norms.
The latest incident occurred near Scarborough Reef, where a Chinese military helicopter dangerously approached within three meters of a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources surveillance aircraft conducting a routine maritime overflight. This reckless maneuver put the lives of the Philippine aircrew at serious risk and marks a disturbing pattern of escalation in the contested waters.
This provocation comes on the heels of a similar Chinese action on February 11, when a PLAN vessel executed an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver against an Australian military aircraft conducting lawful maritime patrols in the South China Sea. These incidents highlight growing concerns over Beijing’s assertive tactics in the region, which pose a threat to the principles of freedom of navigation and overflight.
The United States remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific. The Department of State, in coordination with the Department of Defense, is closely monitoring these developments and reinforcing security cooperation with regional partners to deter further aggression.
Under the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, any armed attack against Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft—including those operated by the Philippine Coast Guard—anywhere in the South China Sea would invoke U.S. obligations under the treaty. Washington continues to stand by Manila in the face of these provocations and urges China to resolve disputes through diplomacy and adherence to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The United States calls on China to immediately cease dangerous military maneuvers that threaten regional stability and to engage in constructive dialogue with neighboring states to ensure peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.