On Wednesday, the US State Department condemned China's "unsafe and irresponsible" actions after a Chinese navy helicopter flew dangerously close to a Philippine aircraft over Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday.
The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources plane was conducting a routine patrol when the helicopter came within three meters, raising serious safety concerns. The Philippine Coast Guard described the encounter as "aggressive and escalatory," releasing footage showing the helicopter briefly swooping toward the aircraft. This follows a similar incident on February 11, when a Chinese maneuver endangered an Australian aircraft in the South China Sea.
Washington reaffirmed its commitment to its ally, stressing that "reckless Chinese actions" threaten regional stability. The US urged China to resolve disputes peacefully and reiterated that the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty covers "attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft—including the Coast Guard—anywhere in the South China Sea."
