Philippine and U.S. Marines prepare to land on a beach during the annual joint naval exercise at a marine base in Ternate, Cavite province, Philippines, Oct. 8, 2015.
In light of the continued presence of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) vessels in the West Philippine Sea, which China calls the South China Sea, the Philippine Department of Defense on Thursday (8) issued a warning to the CCP, stressing that the Philippines and the United States are committed to working together to meet their obligations under the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) to jointly resolve the West The Philippines and the United States signed the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) in 1951.
The Philippines and the United States signed the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) in 1951. It stipulates that the Philippines and the U.S. are to help each other in the event of an armed attack.
“An armed attack against Philippine armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, would trigger our obligations under the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said Wednesday.
Price stressed that, like its Philippine allies, the United States is very concerned about continued reports of a build-up of Chinese Communist maritime militias near Huizong Reef.
“Well done!” “The U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty is an unused weapon in our arsenal to save our fish in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone from theft,” Philippine Senator Panfilo Lacson tweeted Thursday.
In a speech at Friday’s Day of Valor commemoration in the Philippines, Sen. Richard Gordon (R-IL) said it was “very reassuring” and “very” “reassuring” that the U.S. reaffirmed its obligations under the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines. very reassuring” and “timely.
“Of course, the vast majority of Filipinos, including myself, welcome this strong statement of support from the United States, our longtime friend and ally, the home of many Filipinos who have emigrated, and a partner who believes in democratic principles and international law,” Gordon added.
At the same time, Senator Gordon proposed that the Philippines take concrete and immediate steps to address the threat to national sovereignty. “We appreciate the assistance provided by our friends and allies, but we as a people, our leaders must act urgently to do our part,” he said.
“We should also look at conducting more and higher level military exercises with our allies to improve our defense capabilities,” Gordon further added.
The Philippines is one of the United States’ most strategic allies in the world. U.S. strategists see the archipelago as a key link in the chain of U.S. allies that could enable U.S. forces to win a conflict with Beijing. The loss of the Philippines, on the other hand, could give the Communist regime the ability to begin dismantling the U.S. alliance network and exclude the United States from one of the world’s most important economic corridors, the Indo-Pacific region.
On Friday, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a telephone discussion about the situation in the West Philippine Sea.
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