U.S. reaffirms commitment to defend Philippines after Chinese aggression in South China Sea

The Associated Press

The United States reiterated in October 2023 that it would defend the Philippines against an armed attack under the allies’ 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, after People’s Republic of China (PRC) ships blocked and collided with two Philippine vessels off a contested shoal in the South China Sea.

Philippine diplomats summoned a Chinese embassy official in Manila in protest following the October 22 collisions off Second Thomas Shoal. No injuries were reported but a Philippine Coast Guard ship and a wooden-hulled supply boat operated by Philippine Navy personnel were damaged, officials said.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called an emergency meeting with top military and security officials to discuss the hostilities. The Philippines and other nations have resisted Beijing’s sweeping and legally invalid territorial claims over virtually the entire South China Sea, and some, like Manila, have sought U.S. military support as such incidents multiply.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro denounced the PRC for resorting to “brute force” that endangered Philippine crew members and for twisting facts to conceal its aggression.

“The Philippine government views the latest aggression by China as a blatant violation of international law,” Teodoro said. “China has no legal right or authority to conduct law enforcement operations in our territorial waters and in our exclusive economic zone.”

Marcos ordered an investigation of the collisions, Teodoro said. “We are taking these incidents seriously at the highest levels of government,” he said. “The Chinese government is deliberately obfuscating the truth.”

Manila also planned to address the incidents during talks between Beijing and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which the Philippines is a member, on a code of conduct to prevent armed conflict in the South China Sea.

Teodoro said it was “very ironic” that the PRC planned to host the talks after committing “a blatant disregard of international law.”

The PRC’s claims to the South China Sea overlap with those of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

About five PRC coast guard ships, two navy ships and eight accompanying vessels formed a blockade October 22 to prevent two Philippine Coast Guard ships and two other boats from delivering food and other supplies to forces stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said.

A Philippine Coast Guard ship and a supply boat were separately hit by a Chinese coast guard ship and a maritime militia vessel. Only one Philippine boat was able to deliver supplies, Tarriela said.

The Chinese coast guard blamed the Philippine vessels for the collisions, claiming they were carrying construction materials to strengthen Manila’s outpost at the shoal.

The U.S. and its Allies and Partners expressed alarm over the PRC’s actions, with Washington reiterating that it would defend the Philippines if its forces, ships or aircraft come under armed attack, including “those of its coast guard — anywhere in the South China Sea.”

“The United States stands with our Philippine allies in the face of the People’s Republic of China coast guard and maritime militia’s dangerous and unlawful actions obstructing an October 22 Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal,” the U.S. State Department said.

It said the PRC ships “violated international law by intentionally interfering with the Philippine vessels’ exercise of high seas freedom of navigation.”

U.S. forces conduct regular freedom of navigation and overflight missions to uphold international law in the disputed sea.