The US government criticized Tuesday reported escalating swarms of Chinese vessels in the vicinity of Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands, which interfere with the livelihoods of Philippine fishing communities.

In a statement, US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said the United States supports the Philippines’ continued calls upon the People’s Republic of China (PRC) "to respect the international law of the sea in the South China Sea, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and its legal obligations pursuant to the 2016 arbitral ruling."

He noted that the swarms of PRC vessels "reflect continuing disregard for other South China Sea claimants and states lawfully operating in the region."

Price said the State Department shared the Philippines' concerns regarding the "unsafe encounter that the PRC Coast Guard initiated with Philippines naval forces in the South China Sea, as documented before the Senate of the Philippines on December 14."

"The United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in upholding the rules-based international order and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as guaranteed under international law."

Manila has filed a diplomatic protest over the Chinese Coast Guard's seizure of rocket debris that the Filipino personnel found near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea.

• Philippines protests China rocket debris seizure: DFA

A senior Filipino Navy official in November had accused the Chinese Coast Guard of "forcefully" seizing parts of a rocket fairing that landed in the waters of the Spratly Islands. But Beijing insisted the handover took place after "friendly consultation".

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Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire sea and has ignored an international court ruling that its claims have no legal basis. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims to parts of it.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in June, earlier insisted he would not let China trample on the Philippines' maritime rights.

Marcos said his planned visit to China in January could be an opportunity to find a way to avoid further incidents. With Agence France-Presse

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