United States (US) President Joe Biden has warned China that the US will defend the Philippines in case of any attack in the disputed South China Sea.

The comments come days after two collisions between Filipino and Chinese vessels in the contested waters.

However, during a meeting in the White House on Wednesday, while welcoming Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, Biden stated that any attack on Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke the US mutual defense treaty with the Philippines.

In response to this, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said the US had “no right to get involved in a problem between China and the Philippines.”

She told reporters that should the US defend the Philippines, its actions “must not hurt China’s sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has contested Chinese claims to the waters, cutting floating barriers and inviting media to film what it calls Beijing’s dangerous moves at sea.

On Sunday, the Philippines said China’s “dangerous manoeuvres” had led to a collision between a China coast guard ship and a Filipino supply boat in an area that falls inside the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In a separate incident, Manila said a Chinese militia boat “bumped” a Philippine coast guard vessel.

The Filipino boats were on their way to a crumbling navy warship that Manila has marooned at the Second Thomas Shoal to reinforce its claims.

Furthermore, the Philippines’ defence minister, Gilberto Teodoro Jr, said the Chinese boats “intentionally hit” the Philippine vessels and accused China of “distorting the story to fit its own ends.”

Moreover, Mr. Biden echoed these claims, saying the Chinese vessels had “acted dangerously and unlawfully” when the collisions happened.

Given that the Philippines is an important strategic ally of the US as it borders two potential flashpoints in the Pacific – the South China Sea and Taiwan, the situation carries significant geopolitical implications.

Since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in June 2022 and revived the Philippines’ alliance with the US, Filipino authorities have become more aggressive in contesting China’s actions in the South China Sea.

This shift in foreign policy is a reversal of the pro-China stand taken by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who was criticized for not doing enough to counter Beijing’s aggression in the South China Sea.

Duterte, in particular, refused to invoke Manila’s legal victory against China in an international tribunal, which concluded that Beijing’s vast claims to almost the entire South China Sea are unfounded.