FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. on Friday spoke with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, amid a renewed focus on their two countries’ Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) as tensions rise anew in the West Philippine Sea.
“Both sides reaffirmed the importance of working closely to enhance the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States that has stood strong for nearly 70 years, in light of the recent geopolitical developments and challenges in the Asia Pacific region, particularly in the West Philippine Sea,” a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
In the telephone call, Secretary Locsin also “welcomed the assistance of the United States in the Philippines’ efforts to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic,” the statement added.
Both officials also “expressed confidence and optimism in the future trajectory of the Philippines-United States bilateral cooperation as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries,” said the DFA statement.
The Locsin-Blinken phone call comes a day after US Department of State spokesman Ned Price reiterated Washington’s support to the Philippines over the current tensions spawned by the swarming presence of Chinese maritime militia vessels on Julian Felipe Reef, within the Philippines’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) welcomed the assurance by Price in a news briefing on Thursday.
Locsin had backed Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s demand for the pullout of all of the Chinese militia boats, saying the DFA will file diplomatic protests for every day that the vessels remain in the area.
On Monday, the DFA also issued a statement that so-called “traditional fishing rights” invoked by the Chinese embassy must “yield to law” and in this case, the “only norm applicable” is that laid down by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) that affirms countries’ rights in their EEZ; and the 2016 arbitral ruling negating China’s claims over most of the South China Sea through its nine-dash-line map.
“Well, Secretary (James) Blinken actually spoke to this just a couple days ago. He said on March 28 that the United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in the face of the PRC’s maritime militia amassing . . .” US State Deparrtment’s Price said during a news briefing on Thursday, Manila time.
“He said, we will always stand by our allies and stand up for the rules-based international order,” the US State Department spokesman said. ”As we have stated before, an armed attack against the Philippines armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, will trigger our obligations under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.”
The decades-old treaty mandates the US to come to Manila’s aid if it is attacked by any other state, an obligation that the Philippines is also required to undertake for Washington if it goes into war.
The Philippines’s DND welcomed the United States’ latest warning against China on the use of force in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“The US admonition to China against the use of force on Philippine public vessels and aircraft, which are performing their constitutional mandate to protect and defend Philippine rights in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, is an additional affirmation of the long-standing partnership between our two countries,” the DND through its spokesman Arsenio Andolong said.
At least 220 Chinese maritime militia vessels have been spotted to have moored at the Julian Felipe Reef, which is located near Balabac, Palawan on March 7.
Three weeks later, most of the ships supposedly left the reef, but were spotted to have redeployed to other features in the WPS, thus raising more concern — not only from the Philippines, but from its allies the US, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom.
At least 44 Chinese ships have remained berthed at the reef based on the latest patrol of the Philippine military, which Chinese forces challenged, reminding the Air Force pilots to stay away from the area.
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