US ''concerned'' about West Philippine Sea situation: envoy
The United States is ''concerned'' about the situation between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said Sunday.
In an interview with dzBB, Romualdez said it would be up to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to ask for support from the US in defending the country’s territorial waters as part of their commitment in the Mutual Defense Treaty.
“The White House issued a statement to China that they should not encroach our territorial waters. So of course, they are concerned about it but it will be up to us (the Philippines) to say what we want to say to America. Because they told us, just tell us when you need us and we’ll be there because that is our commitment in the Mutual Defense Treaty,” Romualdez said.
Last week, the Philippine Coast Guard said a China Coast Guard ship cut off PCG vessel BRP Malapascua on April 23 at Ayungin Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, causing a near-collision.
A group of journalists on a PCG vessel, the BRP Malabrigo, saw the incident.
Chinese Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in a briefing in Beijing that '' we urge the Philippine side to respect China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and stop making moves that might complicate the situation.''
In a statement, the US said it stands with the Philippines in the face of the China Coast Guard’s infringement of the freedom of navigation of the South China Sea.
“We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct. The United States continues to track and monitor these interactions closely,” it said.
“The United States stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rules-based international maritime order and reaffirms that an armed attack in the Pacific, which includes the South China Sea, on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of the Coast Guard, would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S. Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” it added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
