The national security advisers of the Philippines and United States hold a phone call on Monday, April 1, to discuss the increasing tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) due to China’s aggressive actions.
The highlight of the discussion between National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año and United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was the “recent spate of illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions” by China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), according to National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya.
“Secretary Año expressed his appreciation for the United States’ continued assurances and reaffirmation of its ironclad commitment to the PH-US alliance,” Malaya said in a statement on Tuesday, April 2.
In a separate readout from the US National Security Council, it pointed out Washington’s continued support for Manila following the March 23 resupply mission in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal where CCG vessels fired water cannon on a civilian supply boat that was supposed to bring food and other provisions to Filipino troops manning the BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine Navy warship beached on the shoal.
The incident resulted in the injury of three Filipino military personnel.
The US National Security Council said that Sullivan underscored the commitment of Washington to the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), a 1951 defense pact which states that either of the two countries shall support each other in case of an armed attack from a third-party country.
It added that the MDT extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft—to include those of its Coast Guard—anywhere in the South China Sea.
Meanwhile, Año and Sullivan also discussed the preparations for the visit of President Marcos Jr. in Washington D.C. for the upcoming Japan-Philippines-US trilateral leaders’ summit, as both of them are “looking forward” to the successful holding of the event.
Marcos will meet US Pres. Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on April 11 at the White House for the historic summit, marking the first time that the leaders of the three countries will join forces to discuss issues of mutual interest, including maintaining peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.