(WASHINGTON) The United States on Saturday called on Beijing to halt its “provocative and dangerous” actions in disputed waters of the South China Sea, raising its voice after an incident that raised tensions with the Philippines, which is due to welcome its president on Monday. White House.
“We call on Beijing to desist from its provocative and dangerous action” in the waters where two Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels averted a confrontation on Sunday, a defense ministry spokesman said in a statement. Matthew Miller.
The US also warns that any attack by China will not go unanswered, with tensions already high between the two countries amid economic competition and struggles for diplomatic influence.
“An armed attack against Philippine armed forces, government vessels, or aircraft, including the Coast Guard, in the Pacific area including the South China Sea would trigger the exercise of the states’ mutual defense obligations with respect to the Philippines under the 1951 treaty,” a State Department spokesman said.
The update comes two days before Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visits Washington. He will be welcomed at the White House by Joe Biden.
Taiwan
Proximity to Taiwan would make the Philippines a key US ally if China were to invade the democratic island, which it considers part of its territory.
In early April, Manila made four new military bases available to Washington, including a naval base far from Taiwan, much to Beijing’s chagrin.
The incident between Chinese and Philippine boats occurred near the Spratly Islands on Sunday, raising tensions between Beijing and Manila.
A collision was averted when a Chinese Coast Guard vessel intercepted a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. The incident, seen by an AFP team on another Philippine boat, is the latest in a long series.
It happened near the second Thomas Rock, China’s nearest landmass, about 200 kilometers from the Philippine island of Palawan and a thousand kilometers from Hainan Island.
“Recent images and videos published in the media are a reminder of the People’s Republic of China’s harassment and intimidation of Philippine vessels engaged in routine patrols in their exclusive economic zone,” the US State Department condemned.
Beijing claims the entire South China Sea, defying a 2016 international ruling that found its claims had no legal basis.
China has, over the past ten years, redeveloped and militarized thousands of hectares of reefs there, where landing strips, ports and radar systems have grown.
Beijing responded to the incident on Friday, accusing the Philippines of “deliberately” provoking it. Manila, for its part, vowed that “routine patrols in our own waters cannot be premeditated or provocative” and that “the legal right we have exercised and will continue to exercise.”
Since taking office as Philippine president last June, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed not to allow China to encroach on his country’s maritime rights.
Meanwhile, he is seeking to improve relations with the Philippines’ longtime ally, the United States, which suffered under his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.
