|
Blinken called the U.S. security commitment with the Philippines
"ironclad", and said China's actions in the South China Sea had
triggered a wider international reaction.
The Chinese embassy in Philippines said in a statement on
Wednesday that Chinese activities in the South China Sea were
"legitimate and lawful", adding that Blinken's remarks "ignore
the facts, baselessly accuse China".
It also said Blinken has again "threatened China with the
so-called U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty obligations",
which China firmly opposed.
The Philippines and United States are bound by a 1951 Mutual
Defense Treaty by which they must support each other if there is
an attack. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr last year
pushed Washington to make clear the extent of that security
commitment.
On Tuesday, Blinken said the deal extended to armed attacks on
the Philippine armed forces, public vessels and aircraft, and
its coast guard.
China has said the United States threatens peace and stability
in the South China Sea, is not a party to issues there, and has
no right to intervene in maritime issues between it and the
Philippines.
"The U.S. keeps saying that it wants to safeguard freedom of
navigation in the South China Sea, but in fact it wants to
guarantee the freedom of navigation of U.S. warships. The fact
that U.S. warships and planes traveled thousands of miles to
China's doorstep to flaunt their might and provoke trouble is an
out-and-out hegemonic activity," the Chinese embassy said.
(Reporting by Liz Lee, Bernard Orr and Shanghai newsroom;
Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Gerry Doyle)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
