The United States and Japan jointly condemned Beijing’s “destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara jointly expressed their “strong objections to the PRC’s unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea.”
China’s “destabilizing actions in this region include unsafe encounters at sea and in the air, efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resources exploitation, as well as the dangerous use of Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels,” the officials said in a joint communique.
The allies accused China of “intensifying attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea” and that Chinese “foreign policy seeks to reshape the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others.”
They also expressed concern about China’s “ongoing and rapid expansion of its nuclear weapons arsenal, which continues without any transparency regarding its intent and which the PRC (People’s Republic of China) refuses to acknowledge, despite publicly available evidence.”
The statement also “highlighted with concern Russia’s growing and provocative strategic military cooperation with the PRC, including through joint operations and drills in the vicinity of Japan, and the PRC’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base.”
They also “strongly condemned deepening Russia-North Korea cooperation, exemplified by Russia’s procurement of ballistic missiles and other materiel from North Korea in direct violation of UNSCRs (UN Security Council resolutions) for use against Ukraine.”
As this developed, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) refuted Beijing’s boast that it “permitted” the Philippines to deliver fresh supplies to its outpost in Ayungin Shoal on Saturday.
“We fully expect China to adhere to the provisions of the ‘provisional understanding.’ Both sides should deal with differences in a constructive manner and never through coercion and intimidation. To clarify, the Philippines did not and will never seek permission from the PRC to conduct resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal,” National Task Force WPS Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya told journalists on Sunday.
The task force also belied a Chinese Foreign Ministry press statement that its forces inspected the supplies the Philippine military was carrying to ensure that only humanitarian necessities were ferried to BRP Sierra Madre.
“There was also no boarding and inspection by the Chinese Coast Guard as claimed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry,” added Malaya, also the National Security Council Assistant Director General.
On Saturday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the support of the Philippine Coast Guard successfully carried out a RORE mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal using the civilian vessel ML Lapu- Lapu.
During the operation, Malaya said various Chinese maritime forces were observed in the vicinity, including four Chinese Coast Guard vessels, three People’s Liberation Army- Navy vessels, and two Chinese maritime militia vessels.
“During the entire duration of the mission, the Chinese vessels maintained their distance and did not undertake any action to disrupt the RORE,” he said.
For its part, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it was unfortunate that China “mischaracterized the Philippines’ RORE mission.”
“Instead of acknowledging how two countries were able to manage differences in order to avoid miscalculation and misunderstanding, the (China) spokesperson chose to misrepresent what has been agreed between the Philippines and China regarding RORE missions in Ayungin Shoal,” the DFA said.
“Let us make it absolutely clear: The understanding between the Philippines and China was concluded in good faith, with the explicit agreement that it will not prejudice national positions,” the DFA said, adding that giving “false notions” about the agreement is not helpful for both sides.
“The BRP Sierra Madre is a commissioned naval vessel and its presence in Ayungin Shoal is well within the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction,” the department added. With AFP
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “US, Japan take a swipe at China and deepen defense ties”
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