In comments on Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that the US still considers the 1951 Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty to be fully intact, and would adhere to it in the event Philippines forces come under fire in the South China Sea.
US officials have repeatedly made clear that they intend to support the
Philippines militarily in the South China Sea. Pompeo singled out China
as a threat to Philippine sovereignty, and cited their island-building
as a problem.
This comes after Philippine DM Delfin Lorenzana has been pressing the US
for a review of the treaty, and clarification of what the US would
actually do if the Philippines suddenly come under attack.
It’s not clear that’s what Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wants, however. Duterte has said he doesn’t care
about China’s island-building, and doesn’t have any problem with
China’s behavior in the region. He’s also expressed concern that the US
interest in confronting China in the South China Sea might suck the
Philippines into an American war.
Pompeo: US Will Defend Philippines Military in South China Sea
Says US will adhere to 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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