(Bloomberg) — The US State Department called out China’s “escalatory actions” in the South China Sea, as the Philippine military released videos of what it described as China’s “brutal assault” in disputed waters.
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State Secretary Antony Blinken reiterated Washington’s “ironclad commitments” to its defense treaty with Manila during a phone call with his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo on Wednesday, the US department said in a readout.
The top diplomats held the call days after one of the most serious encounters between China and the Philippines in contested waters. A Filipino crew lost his finger during Monday’s skirmish, where Chinese forces reportedly seized Philippine guns, punctured boats and carried bladed weapons. Beijing has maintained its actions were professional and lawful.
The Philippine military released the videos of the encounter late Wednesday. One clip showed the Chinese Coast Guard “threatening to injure” a Filipino soldier with a pickaxe, according to the military.
Chinese forces also used “blaring sirens and blinding strobe lights” during Monday’s incident, the Philippine military said.
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