US reaffirms MDT with Philippines amid latest Chinese aggression near Pagasa Island

The United States government has strongly condemned China’s recent harassment of Philippine vessels near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea, calling the actions “dangerous” and a threat to regional stability.

In a statement issued Tuesday, U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas Pigott reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), emphasizing that its coverage extends to armed attacks on Philippine public vessels, including those of the Coast Guard, anywhere in the South China Sea (SCS).

“We stand with our Philippine allies as they confront China’s dangerous actions, which undermine regional stability,” Pigott said. 

“China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea and its increasingly coercive actions to advance them at the expense of its neighbors continue to undermine regional stability and fly in the face of its prior commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” he added. 

The U.S. statement came just a day after Beijing warned the Philippines against “challenging” its expansive claims in the SCS, remarks that followed a tense maritime encounter near Pag-asa Island.

On Sunday, October 12, vessels from China’s Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) reportedly rammed and used water cannons against civilian boats deployed by the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). 

The vessels were on a mission to support local fisherfolk operating near Pag-asa Island, part of the Kalayaan Island Group administered by Palawan province.

The incident occurred less than two nautical miles from Pag-asa, an area that, while beyond the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), is considered Philippine territory and legally entitled to a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea under international law.

The BRP Datu Pagbuaya, a BFAR vessel, sustained damage during the encounter. While a civilian asset, the vessel carried Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel, underlining the hybrid nature of maritime law enforcement missions in the contested region.

Pigott reiterated that Article IV of the Mutual Defense Treaty, which commits both nations to respond to armed attacks on either side in the Pacific, applies to such incidents.

“The United States reaffirms Article IV of the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft — including those of its Coast Guard — anywhere in the South China Sea,” he said.

The Chinese Maritime Militia, often comprised of ostensibly civilian fishing boats, has long been suspected of coordinated operations with the Chinese Coast Guard. 

Sunday’s incident is one of the closest documented instances of Chinese aggression within Philippine-claimed waters and near a civilian-populated island.

Pag-asa Island, also known internationally as Thitu Island, is home to over 500 residents, including civilians and a contingent of Philippine military, police, and Coast Guard personnel.

International support to Phl

The United Kingdom, European Union, Japan, Australia, and the United States have all issued statements denouncing China’s most recent aggressive behavior and calling for adherence to international law.

“We call for an end to dangerous tactics in the South China Sea and urge respect for international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes,” the UK Foreign Office stated on social media.

The European Union reiterated its support for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award, which invalidated China’s sweeping nine-dash line claim and found its harassment of Philippine vessels unlawful. However, the ruling did not adjudicate sovereignty over specific features like Pag-asa Island.

The Japanese Embassy in Manila said it was “seriously concerned about the repeated dangerous actions by CCG, including collision and use of water cannon against the BFAR vessel.”

Australian Ambassador Marc Innes Brown expressed deep concern over China's actions, emphasizing that all disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law.

While U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson praised the “tremendous valor and skill by Filipino personnel in the face of China’s dangerous ramming and use of water cannons.”

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it is preparing to file a formal diplomatic protest against Beijing over the latest incident.

Meanwhile, Beijing continues to reject the 2016 ruling and insists its actions are lawful efforts to safeguard sovereignty over what it considers Chinese territory.

In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday, military spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has a range of contingency plans ready to respond to escalating incidents in the disputed waters.

Trinidad emphasized that many operations are already underway, though not always visible to the public.

“Yes, marami tayong ginagawa na hindi nakikita, hindi naipapalabas. This includes our different air surveillance flights, our maritime domain patrols by sea, coordination with like‑minded countries, with our treaty ally,” he said, stressing that these activities are factored into AFP planning.

Phl foreign policy

Asked whether Manila should seek an amendment to the 1951 MDT with the U.S to explicitly cover incidents such as water‑cannon attacks, Trinidad declined to endorse such a step. 

“I’d like to refer to the statement of our Commander‑in‑Chief that the death of any Filipino in the West Philippine Sea would be sufficient grounds for discussions of invoking the Mutual Defense Treaty. On the amendment of the MDT, that is at the policy level of government.” 

Any formal recommendation, he said, would likely come from higher headquarters, “most likely at the Department of Defense level or even Department of Foreign Affairs. 

Trinidad characterized recent maritime harassment as part of a broader pattern of so‑called “gray zone” tactics employed by opposing forces. 

“What used to be gray‑zone tactics are now called ICAD [illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive], but they were called gray zone precisely because they operate on the gray area between legal and illegal,” he said, referring to actions by the People’s Liberation Army Navy, the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG), and maritime militia. 

“Their actions are to force any adversary. In this particular case, us to fire the first shot or commit the first mistake and give them an excuse to escalate their coercive and aggressive actions. We know that, hence all our actions are very calculated,” Trinidad further pointed out. 

When pressed about how the AFP would respond if tensions around Pag‑asa (Thitu) Island or other features were to escalate further, Trinidad again refused to speculate on specific operational responses.

“Again, we do not speculate in case the situation will escalate and how we would respond to it. Rest assured, all of these are in our contingency plans. Depending on a particular scenario, we have the appropriate responses,” he said.