On Thursday, June 27th, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr stated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had taken “illegal actions” against the Philippine Navy conducting routine resupply missions in the South China Sea last week. The Philippines needs to do more than just protest, according to Marcos. The White House reaffirmed its commitment to the security of the Philippines.
Last week, the Chinese Coast Guard was accused of “deliberately ramming” Filipino vessels, resulting in one Filipino sailor being injured.
President Marcos reportedly told reporters in Manila that they have lodged over a hundred protests and negotiations on similar scales.
Marcos emphasized that they need to take more action than just these measures, though he did not specify further.
He added that since there was no firing involved in the incident, the CCP’s actions cannot be categorized as an armed attack. He described the CCP’s actions as “deliberate actions” aimed at preventing the Filipino troops stationed at the disputed Ren’ai Reef (Second Thomas Shoal) from receiving supplies.
The South China Sea is crucial for global trade and has become a major hotspot in the tense relationship between China and the United States.
After a meeting between the national security advisors of the US and the Philippines, the White House stated on Thursday that the US reiterated its commitment to the security of the Philippines amidst China’s actions in the South China Sea.
In a statement, the White House mentioned that US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, and Philippine National Security Advisor, Eduardo Año, discussed their shared concerns regarding the dangerous and escalating actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) near Ren’ai Reef in the South China Sea.
The PRC claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, portions of which are also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s claims had no legal basis. However, Beijing refused to acknowledge the ruling, leading to ongoing conflicts in the South China Sea with the Philippines.
Ren’ai Reef is located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Last week, during a resupply mission for their troops stationed at Ren’ai Reef, the Philippines clashed with Chinese Coast Guard again. The Philippine military stated that the Chinese actions led to a Filipino navy sailor being severely injured and damage to the vessel. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs condemned the Chinese actions as “illegal aggression.”
The White House statement on Thursday mentioned that Sullivan pointed out the applicability of the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty regarding “armed attacks against the armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft of either” in the Philippines.
Under a seventy-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty, the United States is obligated to protect the Philippines when its aircraft or public vessels face armed attacks in this busy waterway.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reiterated America’s commitment to the Philippines during a phone call with Philippine Defense Secretary.
Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson, Wu Qian, stated in a press conference that the treaty signed between the Philippines and the US is a useless threat.