US warns China it stands behind South China Sea ruling and is committed to Philippine defense
CNN
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reaffirmed the US' commitment to defend the Philippines' armed forces from attack in the South China Sea, under a 60-year-old mutual defense treaty.
Blinken made the comments Sunday, in a statement marking the fifth anniversary of a ruling by an independent arbitration tribunal rejecting China's expansive territorial claims over the waterway, siding with the Philippines. Tensions in the South China Sea, which is also contested by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have ratcheted up this year, with Manila accusing Beijing of trying to intimidate its coast guard vessels, as well as sending its so called "maritime militia" to crowd out Philippine fishing boats.
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