United States Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson affirmed that the US Navy’s recent operations in the Scarborough Shoal is critical to freedom of navigation in the region and the US’ role in upholding international maritime laws.

Speaking on the sidelines of the welcome reception for US Embassy Public Diplomacy Officers in Makati City on Friday night, Aug. 15, the ambassador reiterated the US military’s plan to “fly, sail, and operate anywhere that international law allows.”

“All vessels are entitled to that innocent passage. And that kind of innocent passage is essential, whether it's in our warships, to demonstrate that commercial vessels also must enjoy that same right under international law,” Carlson said.

“So, exercising those freedom of navigation operations is essential to demonstrate to the world that the United States military has a serious obligation to uphold and defend international law at the sea,” she added.

This was after warships from the United States Navy were spotted near the Scarborough Shoal days after vessels from China Coast Guard (CCG) and the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) collided.

Reacting to the collision as “absolutely shocking to me,” Carlson lamented that the “(aggressive behavior out in the West Philippine Sea by China, that is not unusual.”

“We've seen shouldering and branding and water cannoning. We've seen the use of military-grade lasers. Virtually, every month, since I arrived here, and three years ago,” she said.

But the envoy refused to comment on whether the US forces’ presence there was triggered by China’s Aug. 11 actions.

“Our operations out at Indo-Pacific are highly coordinated and they do operate on a very specific schedule. But in terms of the timing, I'm not going to second guess what was happening,” Carlson stressed.

Instead, she defended that the US’ presence there “is not necessarily problematic” because “it’s the illegal, coercive, aggressive, and offensive actions" on the part of Chinese vessels that make such activities "dangerous and escalatory and uncalled for and illegal under international law.”

But while criticized the continuation of China’s “offensive activities” in the region, the envoy said she was “heartened” to see that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) immediately offered assistance despite that help being refused.

“The Philippine Coast Guard operates very professionally in the high seas and in the waters under their jurisdiction and in waters where they enjoy sovereign rights,” she added.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense in a news release pointed to the PCG as the one that “made dangerous maneuvers such as high-speed changing and sharp turns to cross the bow of Chinese vessels, which created complex and close quarters situation at sea” on Aug. 11.

As a result, it claimed that the CCG vessels had to take measures “in accordance with law to track, monitor, block and dispel these Philippine vessels.”

“Such acts severely violated China’s sovereignty, rights and interests, seriously endangered the safety of the Chinese personnel, and seriously undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the spokesperson said in the unofficial translation of the news release.

It urged the Philippines “to stop its infringements and provocations immediately” and reiterated China’s “right to take necessary countermeasures to resolutely safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests of the country.”