US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China on Tuesday against any “armed attack” against the Philippines and reaffirmed the US “firm” commitment to defend its ally, a reflection of the rising tensions in the region that could potentially embroil Washington in conflict with Beijing.
But in a sign that the United States hopes to de-escalate the situation, Blinken, on a visit to Manila, gave no indication that recent Chinese provocations — which include ramming Philippine vessels and blasting them with water cannons — crossed the threshold of “armed” attacks.
During a joint news conference with his Philippine counterpart, Blinken was asked about China’s “gray-zone coercion tactics,” which include incidents like directing a high-powered laser at a Philippine Coast Guard vessel, temporarily blinding crew members.
He then emphasized the importance of pursuing diplomatic solutions over military responses.
“The very visibility of those actions, I think, has provoked from a number of other countries clear statements in support of the Philippines and against these provocative actions that are a threat to peace, security, freedom of navigation and basic rights under international law,” he said.
“Repeated violations of international law and the rights of the Philippines – water cannons, blocking maneuvers, close shadowing, other dangerous operations – these waterways are critical to the Philippines, to its security, to its economy, but they’re also critical to the interests of the region, the United States, and the world,” Blinken added.
Attempts to Create a Balance
Top US officials have repeatedly said that “an armed attack” against Philippine public vessels, aircraft, armed forces and coastguard would invoke the 1951 US-Philippines mutual defense treaty in which Washington is obliged to defend its ally.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has expressed “great alarm” over the recent confrontations that have sparked diplomatic sparring between Manila and Beijing.
Blinken's visit to Manila is his second since Marcos took office in 2022 and is part of a brief Asia tour to reinforce US support for regional allies against China.
The US Secretary of State appeared to be attempting to strike a balance at a moment when the Biden administration is trying to sustain a recent thaw in relations with Beijing while also standing firm against Chinese territorial aggression in the region.
He was also signaling robust American support for the Philippines at a high-water moment for recent relations between the countries.
Blinken met later on Tuesday with the Philippine president, who has pivoted his country’s foreign policy back toward Washington since succeeding Rodrigo Duterte, who openly derided the United States and embraced Beijing.
Trilateral Summit
Blinken's trip to Manila comes ahead of a trilateral meeting in Washington next month between Biden, Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Announcing the three-way summit with the Asia-Pacific allies, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the leaders would push a “shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Ahead of his meetings in the Philippine capital, Blinken toured a semiconductor plant. He described the country as “an increasingly critical partner” in ensuring a “resilient” supply chain of chips.
The United States is seeking to cement its lead in the chip industry both on national security grounds and in the face of competition from China.
The US sees economic as well as strategic benefit in the renewed friendship with the Philippines, which is one of seven countries to receive funding from the 2022 CHIPS act passed by Congress with Biden’s support.
The law authorizes new funding to boost American research and manufacturing of semiconductors and to diversify America’s high-technology supply chain.
Meanwhile, Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring similar requests from other southeast Asian states, including the Philippines. Its sweeping maritime claims were invalidated by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in 2016, but China has ignored the ruling.
Not a Party
After Blinken's remarks, China said the United States has “no right” to interfere in the South China Sea.
“The United States is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to interfere in maritime issues that are between China and the Philippines,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular press conference.
Also, the Chinese media treated Blinken's visit with disdain.
The Global Times said “Washington's use of Manila as a proxy to disrupt the South China Sea situation could bring regional strategic confrontation to an unprecedented level.”
Beijing has accused Washington of using the Philippines as a "pawn" in the dispute over the South China Sea and various reefs.
