The United States on Monday again vowed to defend the Philippines against potential Chinese attacks in the South China Sea, as the Southeast Asian nation marked the fifth anniversary of a United Nations-backed ruling rejecting China’s vast territorial claims in the waterway. In a statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that an attack on Philippine Armed Forces in the South China Sea would trigger a Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries. “We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Philippine Armed Forces, public vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke US mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” he said.

Atienza, K. A. T. (2021, July 13). US warns China against attack on Philippines. BusinessWorld, p. S1/10.