US, Others Condemn China After New Vessel Collision With Philippine Ship

The United States and ambassadors of several other countries have condemned Beijing’s recent aggressive behavior in the South China Sea after its coast guard ship rammed into another Philippine vessel on Saturday. In a statement, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States stands with 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 Aug. 31. “A China Coast Guard vessel deliberately collided three times with a Philippine Coast Guard vessel exercising its freedom of navigation in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, causing damage to the vessel and jeopardizing the safety of the crew onboard,” he said....