China's Aggression Against Philippines Is Increasing

The Biden administration has warned China against continuing to conduct armed attacks on the Philippines, but China has blatantly ignored the warning, repeatedly harassing Philippine naval vessels and severely injuring its sailors over the past several months. The dispute is not new, and China has used a wide array of tools to harass and intimidate the Philippines over the past several years. China called its move a "Necessary measure" and accused the Philippines of violating China's sovereignty for having resupplied the troops it keeps on Second Thomas Shoal. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, ruled in favor of the Philippines in the dispute, but China has rejected the ruling. In June, a Philippine sailor suffered severe injuries as a result of the Chinese coast guard ramming into, blocking, and launching water cannons against Philippine resupply vessels. Deterring China across the Indo-Pacific is a key U.S. goal, but the dispute in the Philippines is particularly salient, as the U.S. has a treaty obligation to defend the Philippines from "Armed attacks" pursuant to the U.S.-Philippines defense pact. China's repeated instances of aggression against the Philippines should serve as a warning to the entire Indo-Pacific.