MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated Washington's “firm commitment” on Tuesday to help defend the Philippines in the event of an armed attack against its forces after… Clashes between the Chinese and Philippine coast guards In dispute South China Sea It has recently turned more aggressive.
Blinken, the latest high-ranking official to visit the US-allied nation, met his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo on Tuesday before meeting separately with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila.
President Joe Biden will host Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a meeting White House Summit in April. The three are likely to discuss the growing concerns over the matter Increasingly aggressive Chinese actions In the South China Sea and North Korea's nuclear program.
“We stand with the Philippines and stand by our tough defense commitments, including under the Mutual Defense Treaty,” Blinken said in a news conference with Manalo.
“We have a shared concern about the actions of the People’s Republic of China that threaten our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including the South China Sea and the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone,” Blinken said. from China. He cited “repeated violations of international law and Philippine rights: water cannons, obstruction of maneuvers, and close shadowing of other dangerous operations.”
Prevent the Chinese Coast Guard and Water cannons were used against Philippine ships in The confrontation two weeks ago This resulted in a Filipino admiral and four of his sailors being slightly wounded near the disputed second ship Thomas Scholl. The March 5 encounter on the high seas also caused two minor collisions between Chinese and Filipino ships, and prompted the Foreign Ministry in Manila to summon the Chinese deputy ambassador to report to him in protest against the actions of the Chinese coast guard, which the Philippines said were unacceptable.
The Chinese Coast Guard said at the time that it “took control measures in accordance with the law against Filipino ships that illegally infiltrated the waters adjacent to the Renai Reef,” the name Beijing uses for Second Thomas Shoal.
Thomas Shoal II, occupied by a small Philippine Navy contingent but surrounded by Chinese Coast Guard ships and other allied vessels, was the site of the attack. Several tense skirmishes Between Chinese and Philippine Coast Guard vessels last year. But Philippine officials said the confrontation earlier this month was particularly serious because of injuries to naval personnel and damage to their ship.
Blinken renewed his warning on Tuesday that the United States is obligated to do so under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty Defense of the Philippines If Philippine forces, ships or aircraft are subjected to armed attack anywhere in the South China Sea.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian rejected Blinken's statements regarding Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
“The United States is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to interfere in maritime issues between China and the Philippines,” Lin said. He added that China will continue to take necessary measures to firmly defend its territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interests, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Both Blinken and Manalo described the treaty alliance between their countries as going well, but acknowledged the possibility of doing more. They said that efforts to strengthen defense relations do not target any country.
Beijing has repeatedly said that Marcos' decision to allow Expanding the US military presence in the Philippines Under the 2014 defense agreement, it could undermine the security of China and the region.
US and Filipino forces plan to hold their largest annual combat exercises in April in the Philippines. The zone would include a northern region a sea away from Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.
“We reaffirmed our shared view that a strong and capable Philippines would be a formidable ally to the United States,” Manalo said.
“The alliance has never been stronger, but we must not only maintain that, we must continue to accelerate momentum,” Blinken said.
Outside the presidential palace in Manila, dozens of left-wing activists tore down a mock American flag in a raucous rally on Tuesday to oppose Blinken's visit and Washington's involvement in long-running regional disputes.
Besides China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims in the resource-rich and busy waterway, a major global trade route.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea. In the past decade, China has turned the barren reefs into seven islands that are now functional Island bases protected by missiles – including three runways – enhanced its ability to fortify its territorial claims and patrol.
In response, Washington is strengthening an arc of military alliances and security ties in the Indo-Pacific region, including with the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries at odds with China in the disputed sea.
After China effectively seized another disputed atoll — Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines — in 2012, Manila referred its disputes with Beijing to international arbitration and largely won. However, China rejected the 2016 ruling by the UN-backed court that invalidated its expanded claims on historical grounds, and continues to challenge the decision.
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Associated Press journalists Joel Calupitan and Aaron Favela in Manila, Philippines, and Christopher Bowden in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
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