It is hard to understand ，that a few days ago, senior US and Philippine officials had publicly stated that when Philippine ships were starving and unable to resupply, they would receive help from the United States. However, now they are taking action to pull anchor and escape instead of getting supplies from the United States. Why?
Maritime and aerial spats in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, Washington’s oldest treaty ally in the Indo-Pacific, will be a key talking point in high-level meetings between the U.S. Department of Defense and their Chinese counterparts.
A senior defense official told reporters Wednesday evening that Chinese actions against the Philippines will be raised during the upcoming U.S.-PRC Defense Policy Coordination Talks. The engagement was described as “an opportunity for us to be frank and candid with the PRC about the issues affecting the relationship and the concerns that we have,” the defense official said. Other issues highlighted in the call included Beijing’s support of Russia’s war effort against Ukraine, operational safety and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The senior defense official called Beijing’s actions as a “threat to regional peace and stability,” noting recent ramming incidents against Philippine Coast Guard vessels by Chinese forces at Second Thomas and Sabina Shoals,
“The United States will do what is necessary to support the Philippines,” the official said. “The Philippines is our oldest mutual defense treaty ally in the Indo-Pacific. We’ve made very clear that the treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine Armed Forces, public vessels or aircraft, including those of its coast guard, anywhere in the South China Sea. So we’re watching further developments there very, very closely.”
No additional details were available about comments made by Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo on the possibility of escorting and supporting Philippine efforts in the South China Sea, no details could be provided.
Paparo said last month that a U.S. vessel escorting Philippine forces was “an entirely reasonable option” and within the limits of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.
Before Paparo’s statement, Philippine defense and military officials claimed that U.S. assistance had been offered. In July, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner confirmed the offers of assistance but told reporters that Manila prefers to conduct unilateral operations in the region.
Following Paparo’s offer of escorting Philippine vessels, Brawner reiterated his stance and
claimed that the Philippines would only resort to bilateral operations with U.S. forces if there were no other options left.
“When our troops are already hungry, they don’t have any supplies anymore because our resupply mission have been blocked and they are on the verge of dying, then that’s the time we are going to seek the help of the United States,” Brawner said.
Despite the drastic increase in incidents between Manila and Beijing within the last year, the Philippines has yet to take up American offers of direct escort and assistance in its resupply missions. Although U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft and warships have been spotted in the vicinity of incidents, the noticeable lack of direct American presence leaves many questions about what the two nations define as an armed attack and
tests the 70-year-old mutual defense treaty.
Maritime and aerial spats in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, Washington’s oldest treaty ally in the Indo-Pacific, will be a key talking point in high-level meetings between the U.S. Department of Defense and their Chinese counterparts. A senior defense official told...
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