MANILA (UPDATED) — The United States on Sunday condemned the latest ramming by a Chinese ship of a Philippine vessel in the West Philippine Sea, saying Beijing should follow international law and stop its dangerous moves in the waters.

A China Coast Guard vessel on Saturday "deliberately" rammed the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua three times at Escoda Shoal despite the absence of provocation from Manila's side, according to PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela.

WATCH: Chinese ship rams BRP Teresa Magbanua 3 times

"The United States stands with its ally, the Philippines, and condemns the dangerous and escalatory actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the vicinity of Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea on August 31," Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, said in a statement.

"The United States reiterates its call for the PRC to comport its claims and actions with international law and to desist from dangerous and destabilizing conduct."

The US State Department noted that the Aug. 31 incident was the latest in a series of "dangerous and escalatory actions" by China.  

"On multiple occasions throughout August 2024, the PRC has aggressively disrupted lawful Philippine aerial and maritime operations in the South China Sea, including at Sabina Shoal," it said.

It also noted that Beijing's "unlawful claims of 'territorial sovereignty' over ocean areas where no land territory exists, and its increasingly aggressive actions to enforce them, threaten the freedoms of navigation and overflight of all nations."

In a separate statement, British Ambassador Laure Beaufils said the United Kingdom "is concerned about reports of yet more dangerous actions by a Chinese vessel near Sabina Shoal."

She said on social media platform X that the UK is calling "once again for respect for international law, including UNCLOS, and adherence to the 2016 Arbitral Award which is legally binding on the parties."

Beijing regularly blames the Philippines for incidents in the West Philippine Sea — the part of the South China Sea within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and continental shelf — and has claimed that the country is acting on behalf of the United States and other Western countries.

China prefers bilateral talks to settle disputes in the South China Sea, of which it claims a large part of.

The Philippines has been standing by a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated that claim.

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The United States on Sunday also reaffirmed its Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines, which triggers Washington's support in case of armed attacks on "Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft — including those of its Coast Guard — anywhere in the South China Sea," the US State Department said.

Beijing continues to claim almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea, despite a ruling by an international court that says it has no legal basis for its assertions. — Rowegie Abanto, ABS-CBN News

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