The United States stands with the Philippines against the reported military-grade laser pointed at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) at Ayungin Shoal.
As an allied country, together with the Philippines, they uphold the rules-based international maritime order.
According to the release statement of US Department of State, Spokesperson Ned Price, the action of the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) directing military-laser to the Philippine Coast Guard, invokes the U.S mutual defense commitments to the Philippines under the Article IV of the 1951 U.S Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.
“As reflected in an international tribunal’s legally binding decision issued in July 2016, the People’s Republic of China has no lawful maritime claims to Second Thomas Shoal,” stated in the press release of the U.S. Department of State.
Further, the United States calls out to the People’s Republic of China to abide by the law as stated in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, and the 2016 arbitral decision.
It can be remembered that on February 6, the Chinese Coast Guard was reportedly directing the military-grade laser at the Philippine Coast Guard causing them temporary blindness.
This conduct of CCG clearly threatens the stability of PCG’s operation in the West Philippine Sea.
