Washington has said it will stand with its ally Manila against dangerous actions by China's coast guard and maritime militia in the Second Thomas Shoal area of the South China Sea.
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Chinese coast guard ship and Philippine coast guard ship. (Source: AFP) |
The US State Department issued a statement on August 5 saying that Washington will stand with its ally Manila against dangerous actions by China's coast guard and maritime militia in the Second Thomas Shoal area in the South China Sea on the same day.
By using water cannons and unsafe blocking maneuvers, Chinese vessels obstructed the Philippines’ lawful exercise of freedom of navigation at sea, endangering the safety of the Southeast Asian nation’s vessels and crews.
The statement said such actions by China are inconsistent with international law and are the latest manifestation of repeated threats to the status quo in the East Sea, directly threatening regional peace and stability.
The July 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration found that China had no legitimate claim to the waters around Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone.
The US reiterated that under the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the arbitral award is final and legally binding on China and the Philippines.
Washington called on Beijing to comply with the arbitration court's ruling, as well as respect freedom of navigation - a right that all nations have.
The US State Department reiterated that an armed attack on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, or armed forces, including the Southeast Asian nation's Coast Guard, in the South China Sea would trigger Washington's mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.
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