US could escort PH resupply missions, says top admiral
US ships could escort Philippine vessels on resupply missions in the South China Sea, a top admiral said on Tuesday, describing what he called an “an entirely reasonable option” that required consultation between the treaty allies, however.
The remarks, which are likely to annoy China, were made by Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, after a series of maritime and air confrontations between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea in the past week.
Beijing has pressed its claim to the disputed conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, while Manila has kept up supply missions, particularly those to a beached naval ship on the hotly contested Second Thomas Shoal.
“Escort of one vessel to the other is an entirely reasonable option within our Mutual Defense Treaty,” Paparo told reporters on the sidelines of a military forum organized by the Indo-Pacific Command.
Alternatives
He was responding to a query whether Washington would consider providing escorts to ships from the Philippines taking supplies to disputed geographical features in the waterway.
“I mean certainly, within the context of consultations,” Paparo added, without giving details of ships likely to be employed for the task.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner said the southeast Asian nation preferred to run those missions on its own, however, making every effort to ensure their success despite what Manila calls China’s “dangerous” and “coercive” actions.
“We are going to try all options, all avenues that are available to us,” Brawner told reporters. “While we can do it by ourselves, we will do it.”
But the Philippines would seek alternatives if it found itself constrained from doing so, he added.
“It’s not just perhaps operating with the United States, but also with other like-minded nations.”
Treaty application
That treaty must be interpreted more broadly to tackle a “dynamic and cunning adversary”, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told reporters, although it has already proved a “great deterrent” in the South China Sea.
In recent years, the Philippines has complained of China’s use of so-called grey-zone tactics, or coercive actions that are just shy of armed conflict. But China has maintained its actions were professional and lawful.
‘Disruptor of peace’
Teodoro also urged regional nations to call out China, which he described as the “biggest disruptor of peace”, for its activities in the waterway.
“I believe they’re not undeterrable, because it’s just a question of getting a worldwide consensus,” Teodoro said.
He said the international community should call out China for its “illegal acts” when asked how other countries could help Manila.
“Call out China for illegal acts, the 40 of you,” Teodoro said, addressing the representatives of 40 countries represented in the conference held at Manila Hotel.
“Make a lot of maps and sustain the call until China behaves…Only a collective effort to call them out amidst their very strong information and charm drive abroad,” he added.
“Ask (Chinese) diplomats to say: What are you doing in the South China Sea? Why are you claiming ownership over the whole of the South China Sea? What is your basis for that? We cannot deal with you…I think that calling a spade a spade is now time.”
For ‘relevant’ Asean
“Asean, to remain relevant and credible, cannot continue to ignore what China is doing in the South China Sea…The antidote is a stronger collective multilateral action.”
Teodoro’s comments came following back-to-back tense incidents between Manila and Beijing near Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea this week.
China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, including areas claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Beijing has deployed an armada of vessels to protect its claims.
