Blinken says US stands by 'ironclad' commitments to defend Philippines

Manila: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the United States stands by its ironclad commitments to defend longtime ally the P...

Manila: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the United States stands by its "ironclad" commitments to defend longtime ally the Philippines against armed attack in the South China Sea.

Blinken's visit to Manila is his second since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022 and is part of a brief Asia tour to reinforce US support for regional allies against China.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, and an international ruling that has declared its stance baseless.

Blinken's renewed defence pledge follows recent incidents involving Philippine and Chinese vessels near disputed reefs off the Southeast Asian country's coast, including collisions.

"These waterways are critical to the Philippines, to its security, to its economy, but they're also critical to the interests of the region, the United States and the world," Blinken said at a joint press conference with his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo.