“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,” said State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce in a written statement.
The US has accused China of “unsafe and irresponsible” action during a close encounter between a PLA helicopter and a Philippine plane over the South China Sea on Tuesday. In a statement on Wednesday, Washington also pledged continued support for American allies to ensure a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.
The United States Department of State on Thursday described China’s recent dangerous flight maneuvers against a Filipino aircraft as “reckless” and a “threat” to navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo, in a meeting in Munich on Friday, discussed bilateral coordination in the South China Sea and increasing economic cooperation, the State Department said.