U.S. reaffirms support for Philippines over South China Sea tensions

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Kritenbrink, said the country remained deeply concerned over China’s “continued intimidation and harassment” of Philippine vessels in the latter’s exclusive economic zone.

“Such actions and behaviour on the part of Beijing are truly unacceptable,” he said in a press conference today.

The U.S. senior official added that the best way to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future was for China to commit to upholding the rules-based international order and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

“We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct,” said Kritenbrink.

“The U.S. will continue to track and monitor those interactions closely, but most importantly, we’ll continue to stand with our Filipino allies.”

Kritenbrink’s statement follows Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s five-day trip to Washington, which included a visit to the White House to meet U.S. President Joe Biden.

He said discussions between the two leaders covered issues of food security, climate change and renewable energy, trade and investment as well as defence cooperation and developments in the South China Sea.

China’s coast guard was accused of “dangerous manoeuvres” and “aggressive tactics” during a Philippine coast guard patrol near the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal, which has been a flashpoint for previous altercations.

The nation claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including areas that fall within the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.

This is based on a "nine-dash line" on its maps that stretches more than 1,500 km from its mainland, but a 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling dismissed the legal basis of this line.

Beijing had said it was willing to engage in consultations over maritime differences with countries of concern, but warned against Washington’s interference.

Kritenbrink also stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

“That is something that is increasingly evident to partners around the world and I’m confident that friends in the Philippines share that concern as well.