The presence of large numbers of Chinese vessels near islands and islets occupied by the Philippines is "a concern," a senior US defence official said Friday.
The Philippine government protested the Chinese ship movements Thursday after its military monitored more than 200 Chinese vessels from January-March in a disputed area named Sandy Cay, which is near the Philippine-occupied island of Pag-asa.
Asked about the situation while on a visit to Bangkok, Joseph Felter, deputy assistant secretary of defence for South and Southeast Asia, told reporters that the US is troubled "by any aggressive activity by any country in the South China Sea, in this case China. We see that as of concern."
But he said the US commitment to the Indo-Pacific region involves working with allies and partners to keep the seas free and open and ensure that "no country's sovereignty is undermined."
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