As Philippines sailor hurt in South China Sea incident, U.S. cites risk of "much more violent" confrontation

The White House condemned China on Monday over what the Philippines called an "intentional high-speed ramming" by the Chinese Coast Guard of one of its resupply ships in the South China Sea. One Filipino sailor was seriously wounded in the collision, the Philippine military said.

"We're deeply concerned about the injuries suffered by the Philippine sailor, obviously wishing him the best in terms of his recovery," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists Monday. "This kind of behavior [by China] is provocative, it's reckless, it's unnecessary, and it could lead to misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to something much bigger and much more violent."

The Philippines and China accused each other of causing the confrontation, involving a Philippine navy vessel carrying supplies to a small group of personnel on a grounded warship in the Second Thomas Shoal, which has long been regarded as a flashpoint that could spark a bigger conflict between the U.S. and China.