US backs PH amid swarming of Chinese vessels in West Philippine Sea

Several ships believed to be Chinese maritime militia were spotted by fishermen in Iroquois Reef in the West Philippine Sea in this photo taken in September. The military said an average of 25 vessels have been monitored there from September to December based on their patrols. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines received support from the United States (US) amid the swarming of Chinese vessels in the Philippine territory.

The Department of National Defense earlier expressed concern on the surge of Chinese vessels at the Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

“The United States supports the Philippines’ continued calls upon the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to respect the international law of the sea in the South China Sea, as reflected in the UN (United Nations) Convention on the Law of the Sea, and its legal obligations pursuant to the 2016 arbitral ruling,” US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement on Tuesday (Philippine time).

“The reported escalating swarms of PRC vessels in the vicinity of Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands interfere with the livelihoods of Philippine fishing communities, and also reflect continuing disregard for other South China Sea claimants and states lawfully operating in the region,” he added.

The US also shared the Philippines’ concerns on the unsafe encounter between the Chinese Coast Guard and Philippine naval forces in the West Philippine Sea.

In November, the Philippine military said that the Chinese Coast Guard forcefully retrieved Chinese rocket debris from them.

China, however, disputed and claimed that a “friendly” consultation took place.

Following the incidents, the US expressed solidarity with the Philippines.

“The United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in upholding the rules-based international order and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as guaranteed under international law,” Price said.

JMS