United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has assured Manila of Washington’s unwavering commitment to defending the Philippines in the face of escalating Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, Al Jazeera reports.
During his first call with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo, Rubio strongly condemned Beijing’s “dangerous and destabilizing actions” in the region, stating they violate international law.
“Secretary Rubio conveyed that [China’s] behavior undermines regional peace and stability and is inconsistent with international law,” the State Department said in a statement released after the Wednesday call.
The State Department reiterated the Mutual Defense Treaty between the two nations, emphasizing that “an armed attack in the Pacific, including anywhere in the South China Sea, on either of their public vessels, aircraft, or armed forces – which includes their Coast Guards – would invoke mutual defence commitments.” The 1951 treaty stipulates that the US and the Philippines would come to one another’s defense if either were attacked.
Rubio’s call with Manalo came just a day after a meeting with his counterparts from the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), including India, Japan, and Australia. In a veiled warning to Beijing, the Quad nations expressed support for a “free and open Indo-Pacific” region, “where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and defended.” The Quad statement also declared its strong opposition to “any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.”
China claims vast swathes of the South China Sea, disregarding the maritime claims of several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled against China’s territorial claims, stating they lack any legal basis. However, Beijing has rejected this ruling and continued its assertive actions in the disputed maritime area.
Tensions between Chinese and Philippine vessels have risen sharply over the past year, with multiple confrontations occurring around disputed islands, waters, and reefs. Most recently, on January 14, the Philippines criticized China for deploying a “monster ship” inside Manila’s exclusive maritime economic zone, which was seen as an attempt to intimidate Filipino fishermen operating near the contested Scarborough Shoal.
In response, the Philippine navy conducted a “sovereignty patrol” with live-fire exercises near the shoal, followed by joint military drills with the US. Simultaneously, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted combat readiness drills in the disputed waters, highlighting the increasingly militarized nature of the conflict.
The Scarborough Shoal, situated within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), is a particularly contentious point of contention. While it falls under the Philippines’ EEZ, China holds de facto control over the shoal, exacerbating tensions in the region.
