The reaffirmation by Washington and Manila of their commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1951 is heartening, after China’s latest aggressive action during a routine resupply mission to the Filipinos at the Ayungin Shoal this week.
A joint statement said the two defense chiefs discussed the incident on Sunday at the Ayungin Shoal, only 200 kilometers off Palawan, particularly China’s “dangerous and unlawful maneuvers that caused collisions with Philippine resupply and Coast Guard ships, putting the safety of Philippine vessels and crew at risk.”
“The Secretaries reaffirmed that the MDT extends to both countries’ public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces – to include the Coast Guard – anywhere in the Pacific to include the South China Sea,” the joint statement added. There have been increased concerns among neighboring countries, with China making aggressive territorial claims and deploying military assets to disputed islands in the South China Sea including the West Philippine Sea, with Beijing’s mythical Ten-Dash Line which practically gobbles up the whole South China Sea.“Secretary Austin reiterated his commitment to the Philippines and the Indo-Pacific is ironclad,” the statement said.
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