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South China Sea: US warns Beijing it will defend Philippines in event of attack

  • The State Department said Beijing’s action ‘escalates regional tensions’ in the disputed waterway
  • The US response came after Manila said China’s coastguard fired a water cannon against its boats in the Spratly Islands

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A Chinese coastguard vessel patrols the South China Sea in April. Photo: Reuters
Washington on Friday accused China of an escalation against the Philippines and warned that an armed attack would invite a US response after an incident in disputed waters.
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“The United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in the face of this escalation that directly threatens regional peace and stability,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in Abuja, where Secretary of State Antony Blinken was travelling.

The action “escalates regional tensions, infringes upon freedom of navigation in the South China Sea as guaranteed under international law and undermines the rules-based international order.”

He warned that any “armed attack on Philippine public vessels” would invoke the 1951 US-Philippines treaty in which Washington is obliged to defend its ally.

The Philippines said the Chinese coastguard on Tuesday fired a water cannon against boats delivering supplies to Filipino marines, forcing them to halt their mission.
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