Biden warned China not to attack Philippine ships, or the U.S. intervene
U.S. President Joe Biden (photo: Getty Images)
President Joe Biden has warned China that the United States will be forced to intervene if Beijing attacks Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, according to Bloomberg.
Last week, a Chinese coast guard ship collided with a Philippine resupply vessel. Two hours later, a Chinese maritime police ship bumped into a Philippine coast guard vessel during the same resupply operation.
The U.S. leader stated that China's ships had acted dangerously and unlawfully as the Philippines was conducting a routine resupply mission within its own economic zone in the South China Sea.
"I want to be very clear: our commitments to the Philippines are ironclad. Any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will trigger our mutual defense treaty with the Philippines," Biden declared.
China and the Philippines
Recent tensions between the Philippines and China have arisen due to the policy of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has chosen a course of alignment with the United States.
At the beginning of the year, Japan, the United States, and the Philippines decided to enhance their defense cooperation amid potential Chinese military aggression toward Taiwan.
In March, the U.S. and the Philippines conducted joint military exercises, focusing on defense against potential aggression towards the archipelago.
Additionally, China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, even though international law recognizes the sea as belonging to multiple states. In late September, China deployed a "floating barrier" near the Philippines, hindering Filipino fishing boats from accessing the sea for their livelihoods.
