Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año discussed the recent violent incident at Ayungin Shoal with his US counterpart, Jake Sullivan, as tensions with the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) escalate. This incident involved a member of the CCG threatening a Philippine serviceman with an axe during a humanitarian mission on June 17, 2024.
In their conversation on Thursday, Año and Sullivan addressed the “escalatory and violent actions against Philippine servicemen,” the National Security Council (NSC) said. They emphasized the importance of Manila’s transparency policy on the West Philippine Sea and resolving disputes through peaceful means while upholding a rules-based international order.
Año reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to protecting its sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone and expressed gratitude for the US’s steadfast support and assurances of their “ironclad commitment” to the alliance.
Details of the Incident
On June 17, during a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre stationed at Ayungin Shoal, a Philippine Navy sailor lost his thumb and several others were injured. CCG personnel reportedly rammed Philippine Navy rubber boats, brandishing knives, an axe, and pointed sticks. The Philippine military released videos and photos showing slashed Navy boats and a smashed navigational screen.
US Response
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell raised serious concerns about the incident with Chinese Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu. Campbell reiterated that US commitments to the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty remain ironclad.
Chinese Embassy’s Statement
The Chinese Embassy in Manila accused the US of stirring confrontation and hyping tension for geopolitical interests. The Embassy claimed that the US’s actions, including deploying aircraft and warships under the guise of freedom of navigation, aim to ensure its own military freedom rather than promoting regional peace.
Ongoing Defense Cooperation
The Philippines and the US have committed to investing in Washington’s rotational force posture under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). Defense chiefs Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Lloyd J. Austin III reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the US-Philippine alliance during a phone call following the Ayungin Shoal incident.
Both officials also emphasized cooperation with like-minded partners, enhancing the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and investing in US rotational force posture under EDCA.
Background on Territorial Disputes
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, conflicting with territorial claims from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. The Philippines refers to parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled that China’s claims had no legal basis, a decision that Beijing does not recognize.