The United States said it stands with the Philippines in condemning China for its Navy plane's "unsafe and irresponsible actions" against a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft over Bajo de Masinloc.
In a statement, US Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy plane's interference with the Philippine aircraft endangered the safety of the aircraft and its crew, who were conducting a routine maritime domain awareness flight on Feb. 18.
"The United States stands with its ally the Philippines to condemn the unsafe and irresponsible actions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) to interfere with a Philippine maritime air operation in the vicinity of Scarborough Reef," Bruce said.
The US official stressed that such reckless action by China is a threat to navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, calling on China to refrain from coercive actions.
"Reckless Chinese actions such as these are a threat to navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and we will continue to support our allies and partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific," Bruce said.
"We call on China to refrain from coercive actions and settle its disputes peacefully in accordance with international law," she added.
Bruce noted that the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft—including those of its Coast Guard—anywhere in the South China Sea.
China's PLA-Navy Harbin Z-9 helicopter came within three meters of the BFAR aircraft during its conduct of routine overflight. The US emphasized that this incident follows China’s separate unsafe and unprofessional maneuver on Feb. 11 that endangered an Australian aircraft which was also conducting a routine maritime patrol in the South China Sea.
China, through its embassy in Manila, on the other hand, tagged the statement of the US as a disregard and distortion of the truth.
In an X post on Wednesday, Feb. 19, US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson condemned China's actions, saying the dangerous maneuvers by a PLA Navy helicopter had endangered pilots and passengers on a Philippine air mission.
"The US ambassador, disregarding the facts and distorting the truth, has unjustly accused China of its lawful maritime rights protection activities while disseminating misleading narratives," the Chinese embassy said.
"Any rhetoric or actions that embolden the Philippines to pursue its illegitimate territorial claims through provocations and staged incidents are bound to be in vain," the embassy added.
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