The United States pledged on Tuesday (July 30) to provide $500 million in funding to the Philippine military and coast guard, showing strong support for the Philippines as tensions in disputed waters in the South China Sea continue to escalate due to China’s increasing activities. At the same time, both sides reaffirmed the applicability of the Mutual Defense Treaty, including attacks by coast guard ships in the South China Sea.
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with their Philippine counterparts in Manila, emphasizing the United States’ steadfast security commitment to the Philippines.
During the fourth 2+2 ministerial dialogue between the U.S. and the Philippines, both sides celebrated the unprecedented progress in the past two years within the alliance. The ministers reiterated the importance of the security alliance and the shared commitments made under the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty in an increasingly complex environment.
As China’s actions in the South China Sea become bolder, the Philippine authorities are seeking to enhance their defense capabilities. The U.S. and the Philippines announced plans on Tuesday to deepen their defense cooperation.
The U.S. agreed to provide $500 million in defense assistance to help modernize the Philippine armed forces, allowing them to better focus on external defense. The two U.S. officials also agreed to enhance investments in Philippine cybersecurity and other areas to empower the Philippines to counter threats from China.
Austin stated during a joint press conference after the security talks that “this level of funding is unprecedented, sending a clear message of support for the Philippines from the Biden-Harris administration, the U.S. Congress, and the American people.”
Blinken mentioned that with U.S. assistance, the Philippines will be able to “better defend its sovereignty.”
Since taking office in 2022, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in contrast to his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s pro-China stance, has made four visits to the United States. The U.S. has expanded economic and security support for the Philippines, deepening intelligence sharing and other forms of assistance with Manila.
Marcos expressed, “I am pleased to see that communication channels have always been open, so that everything we do together… will be subject to constant review for agile responses.”
The Philippines and China have conflicting sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire strategic waterway of the South China Sea.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in 2016 that China’s claims have no legal basis under international law. The case was initiated by the Philippines, but China refused to accept the court’s ruling, leading to ongoing tensions with the Philippines.
On June 17, a Philippine sailor lost a finger after a collision with a Chinese coast guard vessel during a resupply mission to troops stationed at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. This incident sparked violence between the two sides.
Earlier in the month, Manila and Beijing reached a temporary arrangement regarding resupply missions to ease tensions and manage disputes, but there seem to be disagreements on the details of the agreement, which has not been made public.
The U.S. and the Philippines have a Mutual Defense Treaty, and U.S. officials have warned that any Chinese attacks on Philippine vessels could trigger a U.S. military response.
In their joint statement on Tuesday, the ministers reiterated that the Mutual Defense Treaty’s applicability includes armed attacks on armed forces, aircraft, and public vessels (including coast guard vessels) of any country in any part of the South China Sea.
Blinken emphasized that the U.S. shares the Philippines’ concerns over China’s “escalating” actions in the South China Sea. He reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defending the Philippines against armed attacks on its ships, aircraft, and troops in the South China Sea.
Prior to the 2+2 dialogue in Manila, Blinken and Austin held meetings with their Japanese counterparts to address the “most considerable strategic challenge” in the region – China. They announced a modernization plan for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Headquarters and strengthened ties with Japan.
On the Monday before the meeting, Blinken also met with the foreign ministers of Australia, India, and Japan in the Quad meeting, condemning China’s actions in the South China Sea.
Last Saturday (July 27), he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos and criticized China’s actions regarding Taiwan and the Philippines. He told Wang Yi, “China must abide by its commitments and not obstruct Philippines’ resupply missions.”
In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. and Japan of attacking China’s “military development and national defense policies”, and accused the Quad group of “artificially creating tensions, instigating confrontations, and restraining other countries’ development.”
The Pentagon also proposed spending $128 million to improve infrastructure at Philippine bases accessible to U.S. forces. The Philippines currently has nine bases, with three in the north strategically positioned to deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan, and one base facing the South China Sea.
The ministers reiterated the importance of freedom of navigation for Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, calling on China to adhere to international maritime law under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, respect Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction, and uphold the final ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on July 12, 2016 regarding sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea.
They emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as a vital element for global security and prosperity. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told reporters, “Establishing a truly credible deterrent posture is critical to ensuring international rules in the Indian Ocean-Pacific region.”
During a meeting in Washington in April, President Joe Biden expressed to President Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga that “the next several years will see a considerable amount of history of our world written in the Indian Ocean-Pacific region.”
The Biden administration has declared the Indo-Pacific region as a priority area, with China viewed as a significant long-term challenge to its geopolitical strategy.
Both Blinken and Austin have made multiple visits to the region in an effort to address China’s expansion and deepen U.S. ties with the region.
According to The Washington Post, a senior U.S. defense official stated before Tuesday’s meeting, “Our upgrades and revisions to our force posture in Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and elsewhere are part of an overall effort to modernize our force posture in that region. The Philippines is absolutely core to that.”
This marks Blinken’s third visit to the Philippines and his second this year. Blinken will continue on to Singapore and Mongolia.
An assistant to Harris stated that Vice President Harris has established an exceptionally strong relationship with President Marcos. Since Marcos took office, Harris has had multiple meetings with him, fostering harmonious relations. As part of an official visit in 2022, Harris visited a local fishing community in the western province of Palawan in the Philippines, where she met with Filipino fishermen who had been driven out of their traditional waters by Chinese vessels.
（This article references reports from Reuters）