Philippines, US to finalize plans for joint patrols in South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the United States have agreed to finalize plans for joint maritime activities, including patrols by their two navies of the South China Sea.

This agreement was reached by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Senior Undersecretary and officer-in-charge Carlito Galvez Jr. at the end of their crucial meeting in Washington yesterday.

A joint statement of the US-Philippines 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue said the top diplomatic and defense officials agreed to “finalize plans for the resumption of combined maritime activities, including the conduct of joint sails by the US and Philippine navies, in the South China Sea.“

Both sides also discussed plans to conduct multilateral maritime activities with other like-minded partners in the South China Sea later this year.

The two nations committed to expeditiously conclude the bilateral Maritime Security Framework Implementing Guidelines, which will enable enhanced combined and rotational maritime cooperation and capacity-building activities in the South China Sea and across the Indo-Pacific.

“Mindful of the growing complexity of the Indo-Pacific security environment, including the multidimensional nature of modern challenges and threats to the peace and security of the Philippines and the United States, the secretaries reaffirmed their shared determination to defend against external armed attack in the Pacific, which includes the South China Sea, in accordance with the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement and 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement,” the statement read.

The secretaries also agreed to expand cooperation, exchange best practices and increase strategic convergence on counterterrorism and addressing gray zone challenges, including for protecting critical infrastructure against attacks emanating from state and non-state actors and for promoting civilian-led, non-military counterterrorism initiatives, where feasible and effective, using an inclusive, rights-based, victim-centered and whole-of-society approach.

The two countries reaffirmed their support for unimpeded lawful commerce and full respect for international law, including freedom of navigation and overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea.

Concern

Washington and Manila noted with concern recent reports regarding further conduct of covert land reclamation on unoccupied features in the Spratly Islands and rejected the use of reclamation as a means of rationalizing or propagating unlawful maritime claims, in direct contravention of the principles outlined in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

The secretaries underlined their strong objections to the unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea, including China’s recent attempts to disrupt the Philippines’ lawful operations at and around Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and the repeated massing of PRC maritime militia vessels at several sites within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The US and the Philippines called on China to fully comply with the final and legally binding 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.

“The Award, which was constituted under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, is final and legally binding on the parties and validates the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction with respect to its EEZ and continental shelf, including maritime areas in the vicinity of Reed Bank, Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal also known in the Philippines as Recto Bank, Panganiban Reef and Ayungin Shoal, respectively,” the statement read.

The officials reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity.

Blinken said the Philippines is America’s oldest ally in the Indo-Pacific and, as such, all US commitments to the Southeast Asian nation are “unwavering.”

“Secretary Austin and I also reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to standing with the Philippines against any intimidation or coercion, including in the South China Sea, and to preserving a region that’s governed by international law where goods and ideas and people can move freely,” Blinken said at a joint press conference with Austin and their Philippine counterparts.

Austin said the commitments they made during the meeting will further integrate the strong bilateral ties into multilateral networks, including with Japan and Australia.

“And we discussed plans to conduct combined maritime activities with likeminded partners in the South China Sea later this year as we work to enhance our collective deterrence,” he stated. – Michael Punongbayan, Paolo Romero