US warns it will defend Philippines over South China Sea
Interim deal reached to smooth deliveries to Philippine marines on disputed reef
Renewed sense of urgency pushing Manila and Beijing to greater assertiveness in South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States renewed a warning Monday that it would defend the Philippines if its forces came under attack in the disputed South China Sea, as an interim deal was reached to smooth deliveries to Philippine marines marooned on a ship at a hotly contested reef.
The Philippines occupies Second Thomas Shoal but China also claims it and increasingly hostile clashes at sea have sparked fears of wider conflict.
China has been at odds with many other countries in the Asia-Pacific for years over its sweeping maritime claims including almost all of the South China Sea, a major global shipping route.
A new sense of urgency is pushing Manila and Beijing to greater assertiveness in the South China Sea, a development that has alarmed Washington.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty “commits the United States to defend the Philippines from armed attack in the Pacific, and that includes an armed attack on Philippine forces, aircraft or public vessels in the South China Sea.”
Blinken was speaking at a news conference in Manila after meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Marcos said he appreciated the renewed commitment from the US, which he said would help deter conflict in the region.
“We welcome the reaffirmation of the commitment of the United States to the Mutual Defense Treaty,” Marcos said.
“This is a very important part of our relationship, and it is a very important part of maintaining peace and stability in our region.”
The US and the Philippines also agreed to expand their military cooperation, including joint patrols in the South China Sea.
The interim deal to smooth deliveries to Philippine marines on Second Thomas Shoal was reached after talks between the Philippines and China, according to a statement from the Philippine foreign ministry.
The deal will allow Philippine vessels to deliver food and other supplies to the marines, who have been stranded on the ship for more than a year.
The deal is a temporary measure and does not resolve the underlying dispute over the shoal.
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