WASHINGTON: A top US official has told a Chinese counterpart that Washington’s defense commitments to the Philippines were “ironclad” following a violent clash in the South China Sea, western media reported.
In a statement, the State Department said that Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell raised serious concerns regarding Chinese actions in a call with Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu. The Deputy Secretary of State reiterated that Washington’s commitments to the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty remain ironclad.
The US official also called for “peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait, in the wake of China’s military exercises around Taiwan after the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te, and renewed Washington’s concerns regarding Chinese exports that support Russian defense industry.
China’s coast guard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an ax surrounded and boarded around 3 Filipino navy boats earlier, in the most serious of a number of escalating clashes. Beijing has been asserting claims in the strategic South China Sea and has put pressure on Taiwan.
Despite multiple areas of tensions, Biden’s administration has worked to extend communication with Beijing to decrease the chance of greater conflict.
