The Philippine defense leader has called China’s entry into the South China Sea an “existential” threat.
“For us, this is an existential question. We are not in favour of conflict. But we will not back down if what belongs to us is illegally taken away through someone, especially through a tyrant,” Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said in a recent interview with the newspaper Financial Times.
China and America’s best friend are embroiled in a dispute in the South China Sea. Beijing claims jurisdiction over the most resource-rich waterways, adding spaces within the world-identified exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Philippines and several other countries.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea grants countries exclusive rights over the resources located in their EEZ. A 2016 ruling through a foreign arbitral tribunal largely rejected China’s claims, Beijing maintains that the ruling was illegal.
“We want all those resources within the limits imposed on us by foreign laws, and we will have to protect them. Otherwise, they will be annihilated through China,” Teodoro said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ‘s administration has opposed China’s claims.
Over the past year, clashes between Chinese coast guard vessels and Philippine government vessels near hotspots in the South China Sea have resulted in near-collisions and water cannon attacks that have injured several Filipino sailors.
Marcos said last month that any “deliberate act” resulting in the death of a Filipino citizen would be “very close to what we describe as an act of war, which he said would force the Philippines and its allies to act together. “
President Joe Biden said the U. S. commitment to its defense treaty with Manila is “ironclad. “
Last week, the Philippine Coast Guard released a video showing the Chinese Coast Guard attempting to block what Manila called the movement of a “sick soldier” who was stationed aboard the USS Sierra Madre, a Philippine warship stranded on the disputed Second Thomas Bank 25 years ago. . a few days ago to reclaim the country.
Beijing disputed the claim, accusing the Philippines of sending “illegal supplies” to reinforce the rusty ship, according to the Chinese state-sponsored Global Times.
Keeping an eye on Chinese maneuvers, the Philippines has stepped up joint military cooperation with the United States and its regional partners.
Newsweek reached out to the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs through written requests for comment outside of business hours.
Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek Taiwan based in Taipei. It covers U. S. -China relations, security issues in East and Southeast Asia, and China-Taiwan ties. Send tips or suggestions to Micah at m. mccartney@newsweek. com.
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