The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines lashed out at US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his “thinly veiled threat” to invoke the US Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
“We firmly oppose the groundless accusations made by Secretary Blinken about China’s legitimate and lawful actions in the South China Sea and his thinly veiled threat to invoke the so-called MDT obligations,” Chinese embassy counselor Ji Lingpeng said in a statement.
Ji described the MDT between Manila and Washington as “a vestige of the Cold War.”
“The military cooperation between the US and the Philippines should not undermine China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea,” Ji added.
During his Manila visit, Blinken emphasized the importance of further accelerating the alliance with the Philippines in the face of regional and global challenges.
“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. It’s why we stand with the Philippines and stand by our ironclad defense commitments, including under the MDT,” Blinken said.
At the House of Representatives, lawmakers hailed the strong partnership between the US and the Philippines, particularly in terms of security and economy.
“We see that the partnership and the relationship of the US and the country is at an all-time high when it comes to security and when it comes to the economy,” Deputy Speaker and Quezon 2nd District Rep. David Suarez said.
“It’s a great thing that we have sealed such a strong commitment because it proves the Philippines is not alone,” Assistant Majority Leader Francisco Paolo Ortega of La Union said.
But the Chinese Embassy insisted the US should not instigate trouble or take sides because it “has no right to interfere in the maritime issues between China and the Philippines.”
“The recent tension in the South China Sea would not have occurred without the US egging on the Philippines. Indeed, the US admits to banding together a small number of countries to offer verbal support to the Philippines,” it said.
China has insisted on its massive claims over most of the South China Sea through a “nine-dash-line” which eventually evolved into a “ten-dash-line” that loops as far as 1,500 km south of its mainland, cutting into the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
It has likewise rejected a 2016 ruling rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration which invalidated its massive claim and upheld the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.