China’s escalating aggression aims to systematically seize control of the South China Sea, prompting Washington to expand security cooperation with allies and weigh whether it should trigger its mutual defense treaty with Manila to deter the regime, experts say.
China Coast Guard vessels subjected Philippine state ships to “a series of water cannon attacks and dangerous maneuvers” in the South China Sea for a second consecutive day on July 24, per the Philippine News Agency, the country’s state-run news outlet.
The harassment occurred as a Philippine Coast Guard vessel was conducting a maritime patrol near Scarborough Shoal—a contested coral reef controlled by Beijing since a 2012 standoff that remains a major flashpoint with Manila….
China’s Aggression a Tactic to Systematically Seize Control of South China Sea: Analysts
