The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines following a “dangerous and irresponsible” maneuver by a Chinese military helicopter against a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft near Bajo de Masinloc.
The US State Department condemned the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) actions and urged Beijing to cease its aggressive and coercive behavior.
According to the US, the 1951 MDT covers any attack on the Philippines’ armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft—including the Coast Guard—anywhere in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that a Chinese military helicopter came as close as three meters to the BFAR aircraft on February 18, posing a serious risk to its pilots and passengers.
Meanwhile, China claimed that the Philippine aircraft had illegally entered its territory and dismissed Manila’s statement as “false narratives.”
In response, the Philippine government is set to file a diplomatic protest against China over the incident.
The West Philippine Sea, part of the South China Sea, has been a long-standing flashpoint between China and the Philippines.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea under its so-called “nine-dash line,” which the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in 2016 has no legal basis.
Despite the ruling, China has continued its militarization of the disputed waters, building artificial islands and deploying military assets in areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The Philippines, backed by allies like the US, has repeatedly protested China’s incursions, particularly in resource-rich areas like Bajo de Masinloc and Ayungin Shoal.