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The United States is concerned over the latest incident that showed Beijing’s “coercive and risky” behavior in the contested South China Sea.
This was among the issues US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III had discussed with his Philippine counterpart Gilbert Teodoro Jr. in a call where they talked about ongoing efforts to boost the alliance of Washington and Manila.
According to a readout of their call shared by the US Department of Defense on Friday, “Secretary Austin noted with concern the People’s Republic of China’s recent coercive and risky operational behavior directed against Philippine vessels operating safely and lawfully in the South China Sea, including around Second Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal.”
This comes after the Philippine Coast Guard called out the “dangerous maneuvers” of Chinese Coast Guard ships on two of its vessels supporting a Philippine Navy resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal on June 30.
