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US lawmakers to tackle China's acts of harassment in SCS

Philippines | National

US lawmakers to tackle China's acts of harassment in SCS

By Joseph Pedrajas

US lawmakers will discuss early Friday morning (Manila time) China’s activities in the South China Sea following the various incidents of harassment it committed against Philippine personnel in the waters.

According to the US Embassy in Manila, the US House of Representatives will hold a hearing on Beijing’s actions in the waters to be titled: "Lasers and Water Cannons: Exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s Harassment in the South China Sea."

Resource persons will be US State Department's Assistant Secretary for Multilateral Affairs Jung Pak; Defense Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Southeast Asia Lindsey Ford; and US Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander Vice Admiral Andrew Tiongson.

The US has been supporting the Philippines' fight for sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, which is connected to the bigger South China Sea where Chinese aggressions against Filipino personnel and fishermen regularly occur.

US President Joe Biden and his officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and State Secretary Antony Blinken, already expressed Washington's commitment to invoke its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippine in case of an armed attack against the latter's public assets in the waters.

The hearing will come several months after Chinese personnel pointed a military-grade laser at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel in February and conducted a water cannon attack against PCG vessels in August.

Both incidents happened in the waters off Ayungin Shoal, which is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

China defended both its actions, saying its personnel did so because the Philippine side entered into the waters it claimed to be its own. It said the moves were professional and restrained.

Related Tags

US LAWMAKERS South China Sea laser pointing Ayungin Shoal

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