Published March 21, 2024
BEIJING — China’s coast guard said a number of Philippine personnel ignored its warnings and illegally landed on a reef that is part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on March 21.
“China firmly opposes the Philippine act, which violates China’s territorial sovereignty, and undermines peace and stability in the South China Sea,” said a spokesperson for the coast guard in a statement on Thursday.
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SOURCE: www.globalnation.inquirer.net
RELATED: Blinken underscores ‘ironclad’ support for the Philippines as it clashes with China in disputed sea
Published March 20, 2024
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored Washington’s “ironclad commitment” Tuesday to help defend the Philippines in case of an armed attack against its forces after clashes between Chinese and Filipino coast guards in the disputed South China Sea recently turned more hostile.
Blinken, the latest high-level official to visit the United States treaty ally, met his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo on Tuesday before separately meeting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila.
President Joe Biden will host Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a White House summit in April. The three are likely to discuss growing concerns over increasingly aggressive Chinese actions in the South China Sea and North Korea’s nuclear program.
“We stand with the Philippines and stand by our ironclad defense commitments, including under the Mutual Defense Treaty,” Blinken said in a news conference with Manalo.
