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MANILA (Reuters) – U.S. Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin has reaffirmed Washington’s dedication to a mutual protection treaty with the Philippines and criticised as “harmful” China’s use of water cannon and disruption of a Philippine resupply mission final week.
In a telephone name on Wednesday along with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, Austin “reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. dedication to the Philippines” following Chinese language obstruction on the Second Thomas Shoal “of a lawful Philippine resupply mission,” mentioned a press release from the Pentagon.
Austin emphasised help for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction, it mentioned.
The Philippines routinely sends boats to the Second Thomas Shoal to ship provides to a small group of its troopers posted to protect a warship that was deliberately grounded on a reef 25 years in the past.
The Philippines has been livid over what it calls repeated aggression by China’s coastguard round disputed options situated inside Manila’s 200-mile unique financial zone.
China warned the Philippines on Monday to behave cautiously and search dialogue, saying their relations have been at a “crossroads” as confrontations between their coastguards over maritime claims worsened tensions.
China, which claims virtually your complete South China Sea, has accused the Philippines of encroaching on its territory and says it took obligatory measures in opposition to the vessels. It has instructed america to not intervene.
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