“PERILOUS” SITUATION
Analysts say Beijing is escalating confrontations with the Philippines in a bid to push it out of the South China Sea.
Jay Batongbacal, director for the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea in Manila, told AFP that China’s forces could be poised to seize the grounded Philippine warship, the Sierra Madre.
“The deployment of their forces at present around the Sierra Madre and then the many reefs around the Kalayaan island group is indicative that they’re ready to do it,” he said, referring to Manila-claimed areas in the Spratly Islands.
The United States has said that “an armed attack” against Philippine public vessels, aircraft, armed forces and coastguard anywhere in the South China Sea would require it to come to Manila’s defence under a treaty between the two countries.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “emphasised that (China’s) actions undermine regional peace and stability” in a call with his Philippine counterpart Enrique A Manalo on Wednesday, according to the State Department.
They also “underscored the United States’ ironclad commitments to the Philippines under our Mutual Defense Treaty”, Blinken said.
Another analyst said the clashes “brought us perilously close” to a point where the United States would be required to intervene militarily.
“The Philippines will likely need to continue resupply missions to the Sierra Madre, one way or another,” said Duan Dang, a Vietnam-based maritime security analyst.
“Backing down and accepting Beijing’s terms regarding these operations would mean relinquishing sovereign rights within its Exclusive Economic Zone,” he said.
