Philippines to take countermeasures against Chinese vessels.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has announced the Philippines will implement proportional countermeasures against “illegal, aggressive attacks” by Chinese vessels in the South China Sea. In a Facebook post, Marcos said successive weeks will see actions to stop open and unabating hostilities by China’s coastguard without specifying what these involve. “We will not be cowed into silence, submission or subservience,” he asserted.
Tensions have risen with Beijing as the new administration in Manila bolsters defence cooperation with long-time ally USA. This includes expanded naval exercises and access to bases, angering China which claims most of the strategic waters.
Last week, Chinese water cannons disrupted a Philippine resupply mission at the Second Thomas Shoal, where its military has maintained a beached warship for over two decades.
China warned of consequences if provocations continued but Marcos said Manila had communicated with “international friends” supportive of its right to sovereign waters as per a UN tribunal ruling.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin assured commitment to their 1951 mutual defence pact and criticized China’s “dangerous” act during the resupply.
A Chinese defence spokesperson countered that the Philippines was to blame, saying it “treacherously” sought foreign support instead of dialogue. All eyes are on how the geopolitical tensions play out in the waters where claimants’ economic and security interests collide.
