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

News Snapshot:

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...