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US reaffirms commitment to defend Philippines vs. armed attack in South China Sea
By MICHAELA DEL CALLARThe Biden administration on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to defend the Philippines against any armed attack in the South China Sea as it upheld former US President Donald Trump's rejection of China's massive claim on the resource-rich waters.
On the fifth anniversary of the international arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines and invalidated China's claim, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on China to stop aggressive and provocative acts in the South China, warning that any attack on the Philippines will trigger a response from the US.
The Philippines and the US have a 70-year-old defense accord, called the Mutual Defense Treaty, that binds America to defend its Asian ally from aggression.
"The United States reaffirms its July 13, 2020 policy regarding maritime claims in the South China Sea. We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty," Blinken said.
Blinken's statement reaffirms the position of the Trump administration, wherein former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared support for the ruling and that it regards China's sprawling maritime claims as illegitimate.
"We call on the PRC to abide by its obligations under international law, cease its provocative behavior, and take steps to reassure the international community that it is committed to the rules-based maritime order that respects the rights of all countries, big and small," said Blinken.
In July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands delivered a sweeping victory to the Philippines
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China does not recognize the ruling and insists indisputable historic rights over nearly the entire waters, which is dotted by clusters of islands, cays, shoals and reefs with rich fishing areas and natural oil and gas.
"Five years ago, an Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention delivered a unanimous and enduring decision firmly rejecting the PRC’s expansive South China Sea maritime claims as having no basis in international law. The Tribunal stated that the PRC has no lawful claim to the area determined by the Arbitral Tribunal to be part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf," Blinken said.
He stressed that the Philippines and China, pursuant to their treaty obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, "are legally bound to comply with this decision."
"Nowhere is the rules-based maritime order under greater threat than in the South China Sea. The People’s Republic of China continues to coerce and intimidate Southeast Asian coastal states, threatening freedom of navigation in this critical global throughway," Blinken said.
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, China and Taiwan have been locked in long-simmering territorial rifts in the South China Sea that analysts feared as Asia’s next potential flashpoint for a major armed conflict.
Although not a party to the disputes, the US maintained that keeping the South China Sea – a major trade route – open and accessible is within its national interest.
From 2016 to 2019, the US has provided the Philippines over $550 million in military assistance – the biggest ever it received in the past 10 years, according to Philippine government officials.
"Freedom of the seas is an enduring interest of all nations and is vital to global peace and prosperity," Blinken said. —KG, GMA News