Another collision between Chinese and Philippine vessels took place in the South China Sea on August 31. According to the U.S. State Department, a Chinese Coast Guard ship “intentionally” collided three times with a Philippine Coast Guard ship within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. This caused damage to the Filipino vessel and put the crew’s safety at risk. The U.S. condemned this incident, calling it the “latest dangerous and escalatory action” by China in the South China Sea. The U.S. also noted that China had repeatedly “aggressively interfered” with the Philippines’ “legitimate air and maritime operations” near Second Thomas Shoal throughout August.
