Chinese ships chase Philippine vessels as US renews warning it will defend its treaty ally

In the latest confrontation within one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the South China Sea, dozens of Chinese coast guard and accompanying ships chased and encircled Philippine vessels while a U.S. Navy surveillance plane conducted vigilant circles overhead. During the peak of Friday's four-hour standoff in the high seas, a Chinese coast guard ship directed a water cannon towards a Philippine motorboat delivering essential supplies to Filipino forces stationed at a marooned, deteriorating warship serving as the nation's vulnerable territorial outpost at Second Thomas Shoal. China has consistently asserted its claim to almost the entire strategic waterway, leading to…