west ph sea 07092024

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<div>MANILA — Security analysts on Saturday urged the Philippines to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States and consider allowing Washington to escort Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea amid China’s increasing hostility. Former US Air Force officer Ray Powell said there is a need for the two longstanding allies to initiate “formal consultations” to address the Philippines&#x27; specific needs and clarify the extent of US support. Manila and Washington have been treaty allies since 1951 after the two countries signed the MDT, which guarantees that the two parties will come to the defense of the other in the event of an armed attack.</div><div>The US recognized Philippine independence in 1946. The country was an American territory and colony before that. “A tool that President Marcos has is that he doesn’t have to wait for an armed attack. All he has to do is declare that the Philippines is under threat of armed attack and invoke Article III to request formal consultations,” said Powell. </div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/9/6/china-defense-partnerships-should-promote-peace-not-target-third-parties-1039" id="isPasted">China: Defense partnerships should promote peace, not target third parties</a></div>Article III allows consultations on the implementation of the MDT &quot;from time to time&quot; and &quot;whenever in the opinion of either of them the territorial integrity, political independence or security of either of the Parties is threatened by external armed attack in the Pacific.&quot;Powell, a former US military officer, said:  “If you’re going to give China pause, you need to give them something to pause about. And the threat of war with the United States or open conflict with the United States would certainly do that.” <div>Carl Schuster, a former operations director at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, warned that, without significant consequences, China is likely to continue or even escalate its activities in Philippine waters. “China only does what it can get away with, and they have gotten away with it,” Schuster said. “And until there is evidence that they&#x27;re going to pay a price for it down the road, if not in the short term, they&#x27;ll continue, and they may even escalate.” </div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/9/resistance-to-china-should-not-lead-to-militarization-of-west-ph-sea-group-1147" id="isPasted">China &#x27;resistance&#x27; should not lead to &#x27;militarization&#x27; of West PH Sea: group</a></div>Dr. Carlyle Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy, called for “greater and stronger actions” from the Philippines. He criticized the current approach of repeating resupply missions and issuing verbal support for the rules-based international order, which he deemed insufficient against China’s dominance. “It’s foolish consistency to keep doing the same things against a much more powerful actor. We need greater and stronger actions,” Thayer stated. &#x27;ALLOW US ESCORT&#x27; Thayer also supported the idea of accepting Washington’s offer to escort Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippine military has maintained that it would explore all domestic options before seeking foreign assistance. “Putting the Philippine Coast Guard up against the China Coast Guard is like a high school rugby team against the pros, you&#x27;re going to be pushed all around the field,” Thayer said. <div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/4/philippines-demands-p60m-compensation-from-china-over-june-17-sea-clash-1538" id="isPasted">Philippines demands P60M compensation from China over June 17 sea clash</a></div><div>“So, the foolish consistency that I was talking about is to keep banging your head against the same wall,” he stressed. Thayer proposed that if the Philippines is concerned about appearing as a puppet of the United States, it could instead create a broader multilateral task force led by a Filipino official to manage the situation while still benefiting from US support.</div><div>Activist groups like Akbayan have advocated <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/5/27/atin-ito-urges-public-to-sponsor-payaos-for-west-philippine-sea-fishers-1530"></a><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/5/27/atin-ito-urges-public-to-sponsor-payaos-for-west-philippine-sea-fishers-1530"></a><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/5/27/atin-ito-urges-public-to-sponsor-payaos-for-west-philippine-sea-fishers-1530">more civilian resupply missions and expeditions in the West Philippines Sea</a> to &quot;normalize&quot; Filipino use of the waters. </div>The P1NAS coalition, meanwhile, has been urging government to “mobilize all diplomatic channels and explore legal remedies to hold China accountable” for its incursions into Philippine waters.<div> </div>Bayan Muna in 2023 suggested joint civilian patrols by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including claimants, that would also &quot;<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/23/23/joint-west-philippine-sea-patrols-urged-after-chinas-coercive-actions">[strengthen] ASEAN cooperation in countering piracy, smuggling and human trafficking</a>, as well as facilitate communication and action in times of calamities and coordination in disaster relief and response efforts.&quot;

MANILA – Security analysts on Saturday urged the Philippines to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States and consider allowing Washington to escort Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea amid China’s increasing hostility.

MANILA – Security analysts on Saturday urged the Philippines to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States and consider allowing Washington to escort Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea amid China’s increasing hostility.

‘Stronger, greater actions’ needed to deter China in West Philippine Sea – analysts | ABS-CBN

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‘Stronger, greater actions’ needed to deter China in West Philippine Sea – analysts

‘Stronger, greater actions’ needed to deter China in West Philippine Sea – analysts

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 07, 2024 04:06 PM PHT

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ABSNews

Mutual Defense Treaty

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

United States

China

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