The U.S. State Department has condemned what it called "dangerous" conduct by China's coast guard during a violent encounter with Philippine sailors in the U.S. treaty ally's maritime zone in the South China Sea. The State Department on Monday condemned what it called "China's dangerous and aggressive actions against Philippine navy personnel at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea." "We reaffirm the July 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, which found that China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea have no basis in international law." "The U.S. is not a party to the South China Sea issue, yet it tries every means to stir up tension in the South China Sea, sowing discord and fanning the flames in the region, thereby undermining the joint efforts of regional countries to manage maritime differences," Ji Lingpeng, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Manila, wrote in a statement Tuesday. The incident was the most significant face-to-face confrontation between Chinese and Philippine personnel in the South China Sea since the June 2024 clash that occurred as China interfered with a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas.