Latest news with #MutualDefenseTreaty
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
PH, US reaffirm alliance in 'pursuit of peace' of Indo-Pacific region
The Philippines and the United States reaffirmed their alliance and commitment to stability in the Indo-Pacific region as the countries' defense chiefs met at the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. During the meeting, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, discussed deepening defense cooperation in support of regional peace, resilience, and a rules-based international order. 'The Philippines seeks peace, but it must be a sustainable peace—one grounded in our own resilience and reinforced through alliances with like-minded partners. We look forward to this meeting and to further strengthening our already robust defense relationship with the United States,' Teodoro said in a statement released on Saturday. Secretary Hegseth, meanwhile, committed to back the Philippines in its effort to push for stability in the region. "I want to applaud the Philippines for their courage and clarity in the South China Sea, and their clear-eyed recognition of the challenges we face. We stand shoulder to shoulder in our pursuit of peace and stability in the region,' Hegseth said. 'Our militaries exercised together in Balikatan in April—the largest in a long time with 14,000 troops. This speaks to the longstanding and ironclad relationship between our nations under the Mutual Defense Treaty,' Hegseth also said. Both secretaries also emphasized the importance of continuing defense cooperation in the face of evolving regional security dynamics. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
U.S. and Philippines Boost Military Ties To Counter China Threats
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on May 30 to discuss joint efforts to counter China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. The high-level talks underscore America's deepening military cooperation with Manila as tensions escalate in contested South China Sea waters. The meeting built upon prior discussions held in Manila on March 28, when Hegseth reaffirmed America's commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty — the cornerstone of what officials describe as the 'ironclad' U.S.-Philippines alliance. Hegseth praised the Philippines for standing firm against China's aggressive tactics targeting lawful Philippine maritime activities. The Defense Department noted that the two leaders celebrated the recent conclusion of Exercise BALIKATAN. This year's iteration marked the largest and most complex joint training exercise in the alliance's history. The massive war games showcased America's deployment of increasingly sophisticated military hardware to the region. Advanced systems included the Typhon missile system and the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System. The exercises also featured highly capable unmanned surface vessels, signaling a new era of autonomous warfare. Both secretaries emphasized how such joint training enhances deterrence against potential Chinese aggression and committed to continued progress in strengthening defense cooperation between their nations. The leaders stressed the importance of partnership and transparency in their approach to deterring China. Their discussions focused on practical steps to further enhance alliance readiness across the Pacific theater.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
South China Sea Convoy Challenges Beijing's Territorial Claims
A coalition of Philippine civilians has embarked on its third mission to defy China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. While the Atin Ito coalition-Tagalog for "This is Ours"-anticipated a possible challenge from China's assertive coast guard, the volunteers sought to send a "message of peace and unity," spokesperson Rafaela David told local media on Monday. China claims sovereignty over roughly 90 percent of the South China Sea, citing "historical rights," despite a Hague-based arbitral tribunal's 2016 ruling dismissing the claims as incompatible with maritime law. China's expansive moves in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone have been met with pushback. The result has been spiraling tensions and dramatic standoffs between the countries' government forces, raising concerns about a potential conflict that could trigger the Philippines' Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email for comment. More than 150 volunteers-including activists, fishermen, musicians, and civic and church leaders-set sail for Philippines-controlled Thitu Island early Tuesday morning as part of a convoy centered on the civilian vessel Kapitan Felix Oca. Tensions over Thitu, the only inhabited feature in the Spratly Islands archipelago and home to a modest military outpost, flared up again in recent days. Last week, China's coast guard executed close-quarter blocking maneuvers and deployed its water cannon in nearby waters while attempting to drive off a Philippine fisheries bureau vessel that Manila said was supporting a scientific mission. The group said it aimed to distribute supplies such as food, medicine and fuel to local fishermen and servicemembers stationed at the garrison. Performers will also hold a concert on the island as a message of solidarity. "We are not just asserting territory. We are asserting that ordinary Filipinos have a stake here," David told reporters before departure from Manila on Monday. "We will not be intimidated." The Philippine coast guard said it deployed one of its largest patrol ships, the BRP Melchora Aquino, along with the smaller BRP Malapascua, to escort the Felix Oca. As of 3 p.m. local time, two Chinese coast guard ships were observed "shadowing" the civilian convoy about 66 miles off the north coast of Palawan province, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The Chinese vessels reportedly issued radio challenges asserting China's claim and citing "domestic and international law," while rejecting the 2016 arbitral decision. "In response to the unauthorized patrol by the China Coast Guard, the Philippine coast guard vessels have initiated radio communications to challenge [Chinese coast guard vessel] 3306's claim of operating under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China," Tarriela said. Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine navy spokesperson,told Newsweek: "We do not speculate on the actions of any adversary. Nevertheless, we are ready to respond to any threat that may face the Atin Ito convoy." The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, in a statement: "Nansha Qundao, including Tiexian Jiao, has always been China's territory. China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao [the Spratly Island group] and its adjacent waters. The Atin Ito participants are scheduled to begin their return trip to Manila on Friday. Related Articles Map Shows World's Biggest Research Universities After HarvardDonald Trump Gets Good News From Consumers Amid Tariff PullbacksJoe Rogan Says China 'On Verge of Passing' US in 'Many Areas'China Reviving World War II Airfield in America's Backyard 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
South China Sea Convoy Challenges Beijing's Territorial Claims
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A coalition of Philippine civilians has embarked on its third mission to defy China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. While the Atin Ito coalition—Tagalog for "This is Ours"—anticipated a possible challenge from China's assertive coast guard, the volunteers sought to send a "message of peace and unity," spokesperson Rafaela David told local media on Monday. Why It Matters China claims sovereignty over roughly 90 percent of the South China Sea, citing "historical rights," despite a Hague-based arbitral tribunal's 2016 ruling dismissing the claims as incompatible with maritime law. China's expansive moves in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone have been met with pushback. The result has been spiraling tensions and dramatic standoffs between the countries' government forces, raising concerns about a potential conflict that could trigger the Philippines' Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email for comment. A Chinese Coast Guard ship monitors a Philippine fishing boat during the distribution of fuel and food to fishers by the civilian-led mission Atin Ito (This Is Ours) Coalition, in the disputed South China Sea... A Chinese Coast Guard ship monitors a Philippine fishing boat during the distribution of fuel and food to fishers by the civilian-led mission Atin Ito (This Is Ours) Coalition, in the disputed South China Sea on May 16, 2024. More Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images What To Know More than 150 volunteers—including activists, fishermen, musicians, and civic and church leaders—set sail for Philippines-controlled Thitu Island early Tuesday morning as part of a convoy centered on the civilian vessel Kapitan Felix Oca. Tensions over Thitu, the only inhabited feature in the Spratly Islands archipelago and home to a modest military outpost, flared up again in recent days. Last week, China's coast guard executed close-quarter blocking maneuvers and deployed its water cannon in nearby waters while attempting to drive off a Philippine fisheries bureau vessel that Manila said was supporting a scientific mission. The group said it aimed to distribute supplies such as food, medicine and fuel to local fishermen and servicemembers stationed at the garrison. Performers will also hold a concert on the island as a message of solidarity. "We are not just asserting territory. We are asserting that ordinary Filipinos have a stake here," David told reporters before departure from Manila on Monday. "We will not be intimidated." The Philippine coast guard said it deployed one of its largest patrol ships, the BRP Melchora Aquino, along with the smaller BRP Malapascua, to escort the Felix Oca. As of 3 p.m. local time, two Chinese coast guard ships were observed "shadowing" the civilian convoy about 66 miles off the north coast of Palawan province, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The Chinese vessels reportedly issued radio challenges asserting China's claim and citing "domestic and international law," while rejecting the 2016 arbitral decision. "In response to the unauthorized patrol by the China Coast Guard, the Philippine coast guard vessels have initiated radio communications to challenge [Chinese coast guard vessel] 3306's claim of operating under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China," Tarriela said. What People Are Saying Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine navy spokesperson, told Newsweek: "We do not speculate on the actions of any adversary. Nevertheless, we are ready to respond to any threat that may face the Atin Ito convoy." The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, in a statement: "Nansha Qundao, including Tiexian Jiao, has always been China's territory. China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao [the Spratly Island group] and its adjacent waters. What Happens Next The Atin Ito participants are scheduled to begin their return trip to Manila on Friday.
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Watch: Chinese Ship Blasts US Ally's Boat With Water Cannon
The Philippines on Thursday released footage of a confrontation between two government vessels and the Chinese coast guard in the South China Sea's hotly contested Spratly Islands. The Chinese cutter can be seen conducting close-quarter maneuvers that Manila said caused a collision, damaging the smaller Philippine vessel and putting its occupants' lives "at risk." Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Philippine Coast Guard for comment. The incident occurred Wednesday morning at Sandy Cay, a string of three sandbars near Thitu Island. Thitu is the only inhabited island in the Spratlys, home to around 250 residents, a modest military outpost, and the Philippines' only airstrip in the archipelago. China claims the island and most of the South China Sea as part of its territory, and has in recent years stepped up patrols to assert control over the waters. Confrontations between the neighbors' maritime forces have on rare occasions left Filipino sailors injured and brought renewed attention to the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and the threshold for drawing Washington into a potential conflict with nuclear-armed Beijing. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said in a statement Thursday that Philippine vessels were on a "routine" mission supporting a scientific team collecting sand samples near Sandy Cay. In its attempt to disrupt the activity, Chinese coast guard vessel 21559 "sideswiped" the bow of one of the Philippine ships, the BRP Datu Sanday, damaging its bow and smokestack and "putting at risk the lives of its civilian personnel onboard," the agency said. The Chinese ship also deployed its water cannon-reportedly the first such use against a Philippine fisheries vessel near Sandy Cay. Despite what the bureau described as "aggressive interference, dangerous maneuvers, and illegal acts" by China, the Philippine team completed its research mission. China's coast guard pushed back, accusing the U.S. ally of "illegally" intruding into the waters around Sandy Cay without permission. Coast guard personnel "carried out control measures in accordance with the law and boarded the reef to verify the situation," state media quoted the agency as saying. Sandy Cay, known in the Philippines as Pag-asa and in China as Tiexian Reef, was also the focus of controversy in late April. China's coast guard posted a photo of personnel holding their national flag in a symbolic assertion of Beijing's sovereignty claim. Manila countered shortly after by dispatching a team to the feature to hold a photo-op with their own flag. Liu Dejun, Chinese coast guard spokesperson, was quoted by state media Thursday: "The Philippine side also sent personnel to illegally land on Tiexian Jiao and carry out activities there. In response, CCG law enforcement personnel carried out control measures in accordance with the law and boarded the reef to verify the situation. On-site operations were conducted in a professional, and lawful manner." China will almost certainly continue pressing its claims within the Philippines' maritime zone despite a 2016 decision by an international arbitral court dismissing these claims. The Philippines is expected to continue challenging Chinese incursions, strengthen security ties with the U.S. and regional allies, and advance its ambitious military modernization program. Related Articles US and Ally's Joint Forces Send Warning to ChinaChina Research Ship 'Loitering' Near Undersea Cables: ReportPhotos Show US Coast Guard Ship Deployed to Contested Waters Near ChinaNATO Member's Warship Sends Message to China 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
