The US is willing to accompany Philippine vessels during resupply missions in the disputed South China Sea amid recurring confrontations with Chinese ships, a senior US military official said.
“Certainly within the context of consultations, every option between two sovereign nations in terms of our mutual defense — escort of one vessel to the other is an entirely reasonable option within our Mutual Defense Treaty,” US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo told reporters on Tuesday.
Paparo’s comments follow recent clashes between Philippine and Chinese ships in the contested waters, including a collision on Monday near Sabina Shoal (Xianbin, 仙濱暗沙). Washington has repeatedly assured Manila of its “ironclad” commitment to defend its longtime ally in the event of an armed attack under their 1951 treaty.
Photo: AFP
China has taken an increasingly aggressive stance toward Philippine ships it accuses of entering waters Beijing says are its own, despite a 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision dismissing those claims in favor of Manila.
The Philippine armed forces would rely on themselves to carry out missions in the South China Sea, said Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr, who spoke after Paparo.
“While we can do it by ourselves, we will do it. And we will then seek other options when we are already constrained from doing it ourselves,” Brawner said.
“It’s not just perhaps cooperating with the United States, but also with other like-minded nations,” he added.
The Philippines has conducted joint patrols with the US and other countries like Japan and Australia in the South China Sea in a bid to uphold freedom of navigation.
However, Washington’s direct involvement in Manila’s South China Sea missions could risk intensifying tensions with Beijing, which has said the US “has no right to interfere” in the maritime dispute.
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