Photo from Philippine Coast Guard
Manuel Mogato | September 28, 2026
MANILA — The American embassy in the Philippines has condemned China’s disruption of a humanitarian mission at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, the first harassment case since July 2024, when Manila and Beijing agreed not to intervene in the rotation and resupply of a rusting ship.
In a statement, US Ambassador to the Philippines, Lee Lipton, described the China Coast Guard (CCG) and the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) actions as “irresponsible maneuvers”.
“We stand by our Philippine allies and laud their professionalism and restraint,” Lipton said.
“We call on the China Coast Guard and PLAN to cease the use of escalatory tactics that threaten the freedom of navigation and a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
At least eight Chinese vessels, including missile gunboats, blocked a local civilian supply boat from proceeding to Ayungin Shoal, threatening to ram the supply vessel on September 24.
Just hours after the US ambassador’s statement, China’s embassy fired back at the US Embassy after it criticized Beijing for blocking Manila’s humanitarian mission. (Also read: Marcos defends two-year deal with China on Ayungin)
“We strongly condemn the US Embassy in the Philippines’ disregard for right and wrong and its insistence on supporting the Philippines’ provocative and unlawful actions at Ren’ai Reef in China’s Nansha Qundao,” the Chinese Embassy said in a statement.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a strategic sea lane where $3 trillion worth of seaborne goods pass every year.
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have conflicting claims on the waterway believed to have rich deposits of energy and mineral resources.
Canada, Japan, and other like-minded states also condemned the Chinese actions 60 miles from Ayungin Shoal, where a rusting BRP Sierra Madre ran aground in 1999.