KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — The United States (US) has reaffirmed its support for the Philippines, a treaty ally, in light of recent harassment by China’s coast guard in the South China Sea, said US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink today.
He said the best way to prevent such incidents in the future will be for China to make a commitment to uphold the rules-based international order and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and to abide by the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, which is binding on both parties.
“We again call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct. The United States will continue to track and monitor those interactions closely, but most importantly, we’ll continue to stand with our Filipino allies. We will continue to operate together.
“We are happy to assist with the ongoing modernisation of the armed forces of the Philippines, including in the maritime domain,” he said in a teleconference from the United States, earlier today.
Prior to this, the US had called on China to stop harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, pledging to stand with the Philippines at a time of simmering geopolitical tension.
The Philippines on Friday (April 28) accused China’s coast guard of ‘aggressive tactics’, following an incident involving a Philippine coast guard patrol vessel close to the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for previous altercations located 105 nautical miles (195km) off its coast.
China’s foreign ministry on Friday retorted by saying the Philippine vessels had intruded into Chinese waters and made deliberate provocative moves.
On another note, Kritenbrink also said the US and its partners recognised the importance of maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait.
On April 30, the Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr left for Washington D.C., for a four-day official visit to the US, a visit meant to send a message to China that the Filipino leader planned to deepen his country’s relationship with the US.
Marcos’s trip comes days after the US and the Philippine militaries held joint exercises aimed at curbing China’s influence in the South China Sea and strengthening the US’ ability to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion by China.
— Bernama
