According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, if the Philippines is attacked by China, the United States will defend its ally, the Philippines.
Blinken in a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Manila on July 12 warning China’s Communist Party leadership has made it clear that Washington is obliged to protect the Philippines if its troops, ships, or aircraft are attacked in conflict areas of the South China Sea.
Using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China, which is the official name of China, Mr. Brinken said, “We call on China again to comply with its obligations under international law and to stop provocative actions.”
“We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Filipino troops, official vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea raises a promise of mutual defense for the United States.”
These commitments include the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. The treaty provides for defense against each other if either the United States or the Philippines is attacked. The Philippines also has the status of a major non-NATO ally (MNNA) with the United States. MNNA is a designation under US law and provides foreign partners with the benefits of defense trade and security cooperation.
Blinken’s comments came on the sixth anniversary of the 2016 arbitral tribunal, which invalidates Beijing’s vast and illegal territorial claims in the South China Sea. The arbitration took place in The Hague under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea after the Philippine government complained about China’s increasingly aggressive actions in conflict areas.
China did not participate in the arbitration and rejected the ruling. Meanwhile, the United States has upheld the ruling and issued a number of reports acknowledging that China’s allegations have no legal basis.
China’s continued efforts to expand control of the South China Sea through the creation of artificial islands and the deployment of maritime militia forces to harass and intimidate other countries have become frequent conflicts with other countries in the region, including the Philippines. I did.
This makes the region a potential flash point for conflict, given the close relationship between the United States and the Philippines.
Indeed, the relationship between the United States and the Philippines is one of the oldest in the region, and the era of the Philippines as a US colony is why the United States first established a military presence in the Indo-Pacific.
Since the approval of the Philippines’ independence on July 4, 1946, the United States has not maintained its claim of sovereignty over the South China Sea. However, it has consistently deployed its troops to patrol waterways, ensuring the freedom of navigation and sky for all in the region.
With the exception of the Philippines and China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei all make their own overlapping claims at sea, with an estimated $ 5 trillion of goods passing each year. It is also believed that the area has abundant gas and oil deposits.
In line with Washington, Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo said the 2016 ruling would be a pillar of his government’s policy in the region, in an attempt to undermine The Hague’s “indisputable” decision. Rejected what was characterized by.
“These findings are definitive because they are no longer within the scope of denial or counterargument and are indisputable,” Manaro said. Said In the statement. “The prize is final.”
“We firmly reject any attempt to undermine it … [to] Erase it from law, history, and our collective memory. “
In this regard, a poll conducted in June found that about 90% of Filipinos want the government to assert maritime claims and strengthen their defenses. However, the Philippines has so far failed to enforce its ruling and has since filed hundreds of formal protests against the ever-expanding invasion of China.
Blinken then reaffirmed the ruling on social media and the United States’ commitment to the Philippines.
“Six years ago today, the arbitral tribunal dismissed China’s vast South China Sea maritime allegations, saying it was unfounded in international law,” Blinken said. Said By tweet. “We support our ally, the Philippines, defend its rights, and oppose China’s provocations and intimidation.”
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Andrew Thornebrooke is a reporter for The Epoch Times, which deals with China-related issues with a focus on defense, military and national security. He holds a master’s degree in military history from Norwich University.