By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
THE PHILIPPINES, United States and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen their security partnership, according to the White House, after China’s water cannon attacks on Philippine vessels last week.
The US Defense chief also reiterated his country’s commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines.
The national security advisers of the three countries had a call on Wednesday “to reaffirm their commitment to freedom of navigation and international law in the South China Sea and East China Sea,” according to a statement from the White House.
They also cited the importance of keeping the Indo-Pacific region stable.
The three countries, through US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Japanese National Security Adviser Akiba Takeo and Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, expressed concerns over China’s recent “dangerous and unlawful” actions at Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, which are both within Manila’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Beijing should “desist from further provocative behavior” and honor a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its expansive claims in the South China Sea, they said.
At the meeting, Mr. Sullivan “reaffirmed the US’ ironclad alliance commitments to both Japan and the Philippines,” the White House said.
The three also reaffirmed their commitment to coordinate in the coming months, citing their shared interests in a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
They “underscored the importance of enhancing trilateral cooperation and committed to continue implementing the initiatives they discussed at their June meeting.”
These initiatives include efforts to enhance defense and security capabilities, particularly on cyber-security, keep a free and open maritime order, enhance cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and maintain a free and equitable economic order, according to the statement.
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. earlier described the actions of Chinese coast guard and maritime militia ships against Philippine vessels at the weekend as aggressive and provocative, noting that they have only “further steeled” state determination to defend the country’s “sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.”
The Sunday incident at Second Thomas Shoal, where a Chinese Coast Guard ship reportedly rammed a smaller Philippine resupply boat, followed China’s attempts on Saturday to prevent a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel from distributing supplies to Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, which Manila calls Bajo de Masinloc.
‘POINT A TO B’
The President, in his statement, reiterated that any foreign claim of sovereignty over Second Thomas Shoal is “baseless and absolutely contrary to international law.”
Scarborough Shoal is a “sovereign Philippine territory and an integral part of our archipelago,” Mr. Marcos said. “No one but the Philippines has a legitimate right or legal basis to operate anywhere in the West Philippine Sea,” he added, referring to areas of the South China Sea within the country’s EEZ.
The US was among the first countries to condemn the incidents, accusing China of using acoustic devices that incapacitated Filipino crew members.
The European Union, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom also joined the chorus of concern.
After the incidents that Manila has described as “serious escalations on the part of China,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III had a phone call with his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday to express “US support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights in accordance with international law.”
Mr. Austin and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro, Jr. discussed the unprovoked use of acoustic devices, water cannons and reckless maneuvers of Chinese ships at Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal, “which caused a collision and damage to lawfully operating Philippine vessels in the Philippines’ EEZ,” the White House said in a separate statement.
During their call, Mr. Austin cited the Mutual Defense Treaty, which compels both countries to defend each other in case of an armed attack on their armed forces, vessels and aircraft.
“[He] reiterated that the Mutual Defense Treaty extends to both countries’ armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft — including those of their respective Coast Guards — anywhere in the Pacific, to include the South China Sea,” the White House said.
Mr. Austin also cited the professionalism of the Armed Forces of the Philippines “in the face of unlawful behavior,” it added.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Romeo S. Brawner, Jr. and AFP Western Command chief Alberto B. Carlos were on board the small wooden boat Unaizah Mae 1 when it was allegedly rammed by the Chinese Coast Guard on Sunday.
The Philippines said there were 46 Chinese vessels during the Sunday mission. The Philippine Coast Guard said it was the “largest number of maritime forces” that it has documented.
Two Philippine Navy-operated supply boats and Philippine coast guard escort ships were on their way to deliver food and other supplies to BRP Sierra Madre when Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels “harassed” them and “executed dangerous maneuvers” at close range.
A water cannon attack by Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5204 damaged the engines of a smaller Philippine boat, disabling the vessel and endangering the lives of its crew, the Philippines earlier said.
Joshua Bernard B. Espeña, who teaches international relations at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, said the PCG vessels are way smaller — in size, tonnage, and firepower — and fewer than their Chinese counterparts.
“So there is likely guidance for PCG task force commanders not to go toe-to-toe with the Chinese Coast Guard,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.
“Operationally, the point of rotation and resupply missions is to get from point A to B,” he said, noting that firing back could have invited more Chinese vessels.