Washington Reaffirms ‘Ironclad’ Commitments to Philippines After Maritime Clash With China

The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76, front) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68, rear) Carrier Strike Groups sail together in formation, in the South China Sea, on July 6, 2020. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jason Tarleton/U.S. Navy via AP)

National security adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated “ironclad U.S. commitments” to the Philippines during his call with his Philippine counterpart Eduardo M. Año following China’s recent actions in the South China Sea.

The pair discussed “shared concerns over the People’s Republic of China’s dangerous and escalatory actions against the Philippines’ lawful maritime operations near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea,” the White House said on June 27.

During the call, Mr. Sullivan noted the U.S.-Philippines mutual defense pact extends to “armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft—to include those of its Coast Guard—anywhere in the South China Sea.”

The call followed the latest China-Philippine clash that occurred on June 17 in disputed waters in the South China Sea.

Philippine military officials said China Coast Guard personnel were carrying knives and spears, looted firearms, and “deliberately punctured” Philippine boats involved in a humanitarian delivery mission to its outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal. They described the Chinese action as “intentional-high speed ramming.” A Philippine military spokesperson said a sailor lost a finger during the incident.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week underscored Washington’s “ironclad commitments” to Manila after the incident. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also reaffirmed U.S. commitments to the Philippines in a telephone call with his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday.

On June 21, the House Foreign Affairs Committee denounced Beijing’s “provocative actions,” which “are destabilizing and threaten regional peace.”

“We stand with our treaty ally, the Philippines, and call on Beijing to immediately stop its reckless and deliberate use of intimidation through water cannons, ramming, and blocking in the South China Sea,” the committee said in a statement.

Days earlier, Washington also condemned the Chinese regime’s “escalatory and irresponsible actions” and reminded Beijing of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

A 1951 mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines requires both nations to support each other if either country is attacked.

The Chinese communist regime dismissed the treaty as a useless threat, said the Second Thomas Shoal was “not the United States’ business”, and accused Washington of instigating and supporting what they called Philippine “infringement and provocation.”

No Plan to Invoke Mutual Defense Treaty

Despite China’s recent actions, the Philippines does not plan on invoking its mutual defense treaty with the United States.

“That has not been considered in our discussions,” presidential assistant on maritime concerns Andres Centino said when asked if the Philippines was considering activating the treaty.

Philippines Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the government did not consider the China Coast Guard confrontation to be an armed attack as stipulated in the mutual defense treaty with the United States.

“This was probably a misunderstanding or an accident. We’re not yet ready to classify this as an armed attack,” Mr. Bersamin said. “We saw bolo, axe, nothing beyond that.”

Philippines Should Do More Than Protest

Philippine President Marcos said on June 27 that his country should do more than protest after China’s recent provocative and illegal actions.

“We have over a hundred protests already. We have already made [a] similar number of demarches. So, we have to do more than just that,” President Marcos said.

He said the Department of Foreign Affairs would talk with the Chinese ambassador in Manila about the latest clash.

The Philippines and China have repeatedly sparred over disputed territories within Manila’s exclusive economic zone this past year.

The Chinese communist regime claims almost the entire South China Sea, a vital route for more than $3 trillion in annual maritime trade. This claim overlaps with territories claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, a non-UN intergovernmental organization headquartered in The Hague, ruled that Beijing’s maritime claims lack legal basis under international law. However, Beijing ignored the ruling and continued to assert control in the region.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this article