New U.S. Secretary of State Calls Philippine Foreign Minister, Stresses Mutual Defense Treaty Covers Entire Pacific, Including South China Sea, Where Sovereignty is Disputed
Secretary of State Blinken, who has been in office for just one day, spoke with Philippine Foreign Minister Rodrigo Lochin on Wednesday night (Jan. 27, 2021) Washington Time to reaffirm that a strong U.S.-Philippine alliance is essential to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. A State Department spokesman said in a statement that during the call, Blinken emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty to the security of both countries, saying it clearly applies to situations when the Armed Forces of the Philippines, government ships and aircraft are under armed attack in the Pacific. That includes the South China Sea, he said.
A few days ago, incoming U.S. Defense Secretary Austin made clear to Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi that the Senkaku Islands fall under Article V of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty and that the United States continues to oppose any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea.
Beijing calls the Senkaku Islands sovereign Diaoyu Islands, and regularly sends government ships and aircraft into the waters and airspace near the islands.
During Wednesday’s call, Blinken emphasized to the Philippine foreign minister that the United States opposes any Chinese claim to maritime sovereignty in the South China Sea that exceeds what is allowed under international law as reflected in the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, and pledged to stand with sovereign claimants in Southeast Asian countries that face pressure from the People’s Republic of China.
This is the clearest and strongest position on the South China Sea yet expressed by the Biden administration, which has been in office for just over a week.
Pompeo, who stepped down as secretary of state a week ago, issued a statement last July in which he declared unequivocally that the U.S. considers Beijing’s claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea “completely illegitimate” and condemned Beijing’s use of “might makes right” intimidation to undermine the sovereignty of Southeast Asian countries. Southeast Asian countries’ sovereignty. An international arbitral tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 that China’s nine-dash line violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Pompeo also said at the time that “the United States stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners to assert their sovereignty over offshore resources in accordance with their rights and obligations under international law.”
Just last week, China passed the Marine Police Law, which authorizes the Chinese Marine Police to use weapons to stop foreign organizations and individuals from infringing on national sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction at sea, and authorizes the Marine Police to demolish structures built by foreign countries on islands over which China claims sovereignty.
On the same day as the call with Blinken, Philippine Foreign Minister Steven Lochin tweeted that Manila had lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing over China’s Maritime Police Act.
Also on Wednesday, Chinese troops began a series of military exercises in the South China Sea. The move is seen as a test of China’s stance on the Biden Administration‘s South China Sea.
This past weekend, the U.S. aircraft carrier battle group USS Roosevelt entered the South China Sea. In a statement, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the routine operation is designed to ensure freedom of the seas, solidify partnerships that promote maritime security and reassure allies and partners.
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