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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH, US, Japan to China: Desist from further provocative behavior in West PH Sea

PH, US, Japan to China: Desist from further provocative behavior in West PH Sea

Published Dec 14, 2023 05:36 am
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(Sreenshot taken from PCG’s Facebook video)

Following China’s “dangerous and unlawful” moves in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the national security advisors of the Philippines, United States (US), and Japan told Beijing to stop engaging in “further provocative behavior.

On Dec. 13, National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan, Japanese NSA Akiba Takeo, and Philippine NSA Eduardo Año held a trilateral phone call to reaffirm their commitment to freedom of navigation and international law in the South China Sea and East China Sea, as well as the critical importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

“They expressed concerns about the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) recent dangerous and unlawful conduct near Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Reef, and called on the PRC to abide by the legally binding July 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling and desist from further provocative behavior,” the readout provided by the White House stated.

Sullivan reaffirmed America's unwavering alliance pledges to the Philippines and Japan.

The three NSAs emphasized how crucial it is to strengthen trilateral cooperation and pledged to carry out the plans they discussed at their June meeting.

These plans include trilateral efforts to maintain an open and free maritime order, strengthen cooperation on disaster relief and humanitarian aid, and maintain a free and fair economic system, it stated.

“The three NSAs reaffirmed their decision to conduct close trilateral coordination over the coming months to advance their shared interests in a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

During a recent interview, retired Philippine Navy general Rommel Jude Ong said that it is still very early to invoke the mutual defense treaty of the Philippines with the US.

On Dec. 9, the latest in a string of aggressive incidents by Chinese vessels in Philippine waters, a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship fired water cannon at Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels that were delivering supplies to fisherfolk communities in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough/Panatag Shoal).

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