Manila and Beijing have traded barbs almost daily since Tuesday’s confrontation at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, where ships of the China Coast Guard blasted two Philippine vessels with water cannons, prompting outrage from its government.
“We’ve been very clear to everyone, to include Beijing, that the kind of behavior that we’ve seen, where Filipino crews are put in danger... sailors have been injured and property damaged, that is irresponsible behavior,” Austin told a joint press conference in Hawaii.
Austin reiterated the US would continue to support its former colony the Philippines, as outlined in a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
“Our commitment to the treaty is ironclad and we stand with the Philippines,” he said after a meeting with defense counterparts of the Philippines, Australia and Japan.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro refused to speculate about the conditions in which Manila might invoke the treaty, saying that would be a “political decision.”
The treaty binds the two countries to defend each other in the event of attack, including in the South China Sea, upping the stakes in a longrunning battle for power that has seen China double-down in asserting its territorial claim over most of the waterway, a key global trade route.
Appearing alongside Austin, Teodoro said the treaty allies were committed to building capacity and deterrence to ensure no situation emerged that would require the treaty to be invoked.
“We need to assert our rights, but in a manner that safeguards the safety of each and every member of the Philippines’ armed force,” Teodoro added.
Bu hikaye The Philippine Star dergisinin May 04, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Philippine Star dergisinin May 04, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Ang backpedals, revives interest in PAREX
The Pasig River Expressway (PAREX), opposed by green and mobility groups, may still happen after all, with San Miguel Corp. (SMC) adjusting the proposal to consider the public's insights on it.
Web threats on Phi firms triple; Smart warns vs fake cell towers
The Philippines sustained the third highest volume of online threats against businesses across six economies in Southeast Asia in 2023, prodding enterprises to improve their digital defenses.
Phi economy to triple by 2033 Recto
The Philippine economy is expected to triple by 2033, putting the country in the league of China, Japan, India and South Korea, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said.
Analysts trim down inflation expectations
Private sector economists further trimmed down their inflation expectations this year, with the rate expected to stay within the two to four percent target range of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) until 2026.
Recto sees 150 bps rate cuts in 2 years
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas BSP) may cut interest rates by as much as 150 basis points in the next two years mainly due to the downtrend in inflation, according to Finance Secretary Ralph Recto.
Malabuyo new toast of Asian gymnastics
Paris Olympics-bound Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruivivar hinted at their readiness to aim for what has never been done before by any Filipino in gymnastics in the quadrennial Games - snare a medal.
DALLAS STAR PAIR RUNS SHOW AT HOME
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 66 points and Dallas surged home in a 116-107 victory over the Minnesota Timber-wolves on Sunday that gave the Mavericks a 3-0 stranglehold on their NBA Western Conference final.
US lawmaker tells Taiwan weapons are coming
A senior US lawmaker visiting Taipei said yesterday that weapons Taiwan had ordered are finally on their way, and that China's \"intimidating\" war games last week underscored the need to boost the island's deterrence abilities.
'More than 2,000 possibly buried in PNG landslide'
YAMBALI AP) More than 2,000 people were believed to have been buried alive by Friday’s landslide in Papua New Guinea and the country has formally asked for international help, a government official has told the United Nations.
PNP defends relief of 35 Davao cops
The Philippine National Police PNP) has defended the relief of 35 police officers in Davao City, including the city police chief and several station commanders due to drug-related killings.