Washington: The United States has denounced China's actions on October 12, involving the ramming and use of water cannons on a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel near Thitu Island in the South China Sea. The U.S. has expressed its support for the Philippines in confronting what it describes as China's dangerous maneuvers, which it believes undermine regional stability. China's expansive territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea, along with its increasingly assertive actions to reinforce these claims, are seen as a threat to regional peace and contrary to previous commitments to resolve disputes through peaceful means.

According to EMM, the United States has reiterated that Article IV of the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty is applicable to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those operated by the Coast Guard, anywhere in the South China Sea. This statement underscores the U.S. commitment to its alliance with the Philippines in light of the recent incident.