US Reaffirms Pledge To Defend Philippines In South China Sea

The United States reiterated on Wednesday, Jan. 27, its commitment to defend the Philippines in case of armed attacks in the South China Sea.

The US also rejects China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea beyond what it is permitted under international law “as reflected” in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

The US also pledged to stand with Southeast Asian countries resisting Beijing’s pressure.

Blinken made the remarks in a call with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., the US State Department – through spokesperson  Ned Price – and the US embassy in Manila disclosed in a statement.

Blinken also posted about his call on Twitter and this was retweeted by Locsin.



In its statement, the State Department said “Secretary Blinken stressed the importance of the Mutual Defense Treaty for the security of both nations, and its clear application to armed attacks against the Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, which includes the South China Sea.” 

The 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty or MDT between the Philippines and the US was signed after the two countries forged a military bases agreement in 1947. The Senate rejected the continuing presence of US bases in the country in 1992 but the MDT remained.

President Duterte also terminated the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the US in February last year but this has been suspended twice. The VFA provides the legal framework for which Washington’s troops can operate on a rotational basis in the country.

China claims almost all of the energy-rich South China Sea, which is also a major trade route. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

The US has accused China of taking advantage of the distraction of the coronavirus pandemic to advance its presence in the South China Sea.

The State Department said Blinken, who took office this week in Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, and Locsin reaffirmed that a strong alliance between the US and the Philippines “is vital to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

“The two secretaries committed to continue building upon a relationship founded on shared strategic interests and history, democratic values, and strong people-to-people ties,” it added.

US relations with China deteriorated under former US President Donald Trump over a variety of issues including the pandemic, Chinese policies in Hong Kong, Beijing’s treatment of its Muslim minority and trade.

Two weeks ago, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Chinese officials and companies for alleged misdeeds in the South China Sea.

With the importance placed on it by the Biden administration, the MDT will help maintain the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific, including in the South China Sea, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Thursday.

“There you go,” Lacson posted on Twitter, noting that the MDT “is one yet untapped weapon in our arsenal.” “I certainly hope we do not draw that weapon.”

Read more: Philippine Navy Undergoes Re-Fleeting As South China Sea Tensions Escalate