US officials speak out against China's 'provocative' actions in the East Sea, warning of 'easy miscalculation'

Chinese and Philippine ships in a confrontation in the East Sea. (Source: AP)

China and the Philippines on June 17 accused each other of a collision in the South China Sea, the latest in a series of increasingly tense confrontations between the two countries in the waterway.

The China Coast Guard said a Philippine supply ship “deliberately approached dangerously” a Chinese vessel, resulting in a minor collision.

Manila has refused to comment directly on the incident and has criticized Beijing, which said the Philippine transport and supply ship had ignored China's repeated stern warnings.

Beijing is in the process of a large-scale military expansion and is becoming more assertive in pursuing its (illegal - PV) claims in the East Sea, leading to more frequent direct confrontations, mainly with the Philippines.

A 2016 international arbitration ruling invalidated Beijing's claims in the South China Sea, but China did not participate in the proceedings and rejected the ruling.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on June 17: "The United States stands with our ally the Philippines and condemns China's escalatory and irresponsible actions."

Mr. Miller emphasized that the Chinese ships used water cannons, rammed, blocked and towed damaged Philippine vessels, endangering the lives of Philippine military personnel. "This is a reckless act that threatens peace and stability in the region," Mr. Miller said.

“Washington condemns the dangerous and aggressive actions that injure and damage Philippine vessels and disrupt the country’s lawful maritime activities,” US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said in a social media post.

Additionally, on this issue, National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said that China's behavior is "provocative" and could cause a larger conflict.

“It was reckless and unnecessary and could have led to misunderstandings and miscalculations that could have led to something much larger and much more violent,” Mr. Kirby said.

The US Pacific Fleet said on June 17 that the US, Canada, Japan and the Philippines conducted a two-day joint maritime exercise in Manila's EEZ in the South China Sea.

According to a statement from the US Pacific Fleet, this maritime cooperation activity is aimed at “supporting freedom of navigation and overflight, reaffirming the four countries' commitment to enhancing regional security and stability.”

The exercise involved four warships and a series of at-sea maneuvers aimed at testing and validating the interoperability of the armed forces' doctrines, tactics, techniques and procedures, the statement added.

Last April, the Philippines also conducted joint maritime operations with Japan, Australia and the United States.

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Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quan-chuc-my-dong-loat-len-tieng-truoc-hanh-dong-khieu-khich-cua-trung-quoc-tai-bien-dong-canh-bao-de-tinh-toan-sai-lam-275392.html