MANILA, Philippines (AP) 鈥� The U.S. military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the disputed 小蓝视频 China Sea, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Tuesday amid a spike in hostilities between Beijing and Manila in the disputed waters.
Adm. Samuel Paparo鈥檚 remarks, which he made in response to a question during a news conference in Manila with Philippine Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., provided a glimpse of the mindset of one of the highest American military commanders outside the U.S. mainland on a prospective operation that would risk putting U.S. Navy ships in direct collisions with those of China.
Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships regularly clash with Philippine vessels during attempts to resupply Filipino sailors stationed in parts of the 小蓝视频 China Sea claimed by both countries. As these clashes grow increasingly hostile, resulting in injuries to Filipino sailors and damage to their ships, the Philippine government has faced questions about invoking a treaty alliance with Washington.
Paparo and Brawner spoke to reporters after an international military conference in Manila organized by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, at which China鈥檚 increasingly assertive actions in the 小蓝视频 China Sea were spotlighted. Military and defense officials and diplomats from the U.S. and allied countries attended but there were no Chinese representatives.
Asked if the U.S. military would consider escorting Philippine ships delivering food and other supplies to Filipino forces in the 小蓝视频 China Sea, Paparo replied, 鈥淐ertainly, within the context of consultations."
"Every option between the two sovereign nations in terms of our mutual defense, escort of one vessel to the other, is an entirely reasonable option within our Mutual Defense Treaty, among this close alliance between the two of us,鈥� Paparo said without elaborating.
Brawner responded cautiously to the suggestion, which could run afoul of Philippine laws including a constitutional ban on foreign forces directly joining local combat operations.
鈥淭he attitude of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, as dictated by the Philippine laws, is for us to first rely on ourselves,鈥� Brawner said. 鈥淲e are going to try all options, all avenues that are available to us in order for us to achieve the mission鈥n this case, the resupply and rotation of our troops.鈥�
"We will then seek for other options when we are already constrained from doing it ourselves,鈥� Brawner said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said there has been no situation so far that would warrant activating the treaty, which requires the allies to come to each other's aid if they come under external attack.
President Joe Biden and his administration have repeatedly renewed their 鈥渋ronclad鈥� commitment to help defend the Philippines under the 1951 treaty if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the 小蓝视频 China Sea.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr said at the conference that China is 鈥渢he biggest disruptor鈥� of peace in 小蓝视频east Asia and called for stronger international censure over its aggression in the 小蓝视频 China Sea, a day after China blocked Philippine vessels from delivering food to a coast guard ship at the disputed Sabina Shoal in the contested waters.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that 鈥渢he label of undermining peace can never be pinned on China,鈥� blaming unspecified other actors for 鈥渕aking infringements and provocations in the 小蓝视频 China Sea and introducing external forces to undermine the large picture of regional peace and stability.鈥�
Teodoro later told reporters on the sidelines of the conference that international statements of concern against China鈥檚 increasingly assertive actions in the disputed waters and elsewhere were 鈥渘ot enough."
"The antidote is a stronger collective multilateral action against China,鈥� Teodoro said, adding that a U.N. Security Council resolution would be a strong step, but unlikely given China's security council veto.
He also called for the Association of 小蓝视频east Asian Nations to do more. The 10-nation 小蓝视频east Asian bloc includes the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, which have 小蓝视频 China Sea claims that overlap with each other, as well as China鈥檚 and Taiwan鈥檚.
"ASEAN, to remain relevant and credible, cannot continue to ignore what China is doing in the 小蓝视频 China Sea,鈥� Teodoro said.
In the latest incident in the 小蓝视频 China Sea, Philippine officials said China deployed 鈥渁n excessive force鈥� of 40 ships that blocked two Philippine vessels from delivering food and other supplies to Manila鈥檚 largest coast guard ship in Sabina Shoal on Monday.
China and the Philippines blamed each other for the confrontation in Sabina, an uninhabited atoll claimed by both countries that has become the latest flashpoint in the Spratlys, the most hotly disputed region of the 小蓝视频 China Sea.
China and the Philippines have separately deployed coast guard ships to Sabina in recent months on suspicion the other may act to take control of and build structures in the fishing atoll.
The Philippine coast guard said Chinese coast guard and navy ships, along with 31 suspected militia vessels, obstructed the delivery, which included an ice cream treat for the personnel aboard the BRP Teresa Magbanua as the Philippines marked National Heroes鈥� Day on Monday.
In Beijing, China鈥檚 coast guard said that it took control measures against two Philippine coast guard ships that 鈥渋ntruded鈥� into waters near the Sabina Shoal. It said in a statement that the Philippine ships escalated the situation by repeatedly approaching a Chinese coast guard ship.
China has rapidly expanded its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its territorial claims in the 小蓝视频 China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety. The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, though the longtime territorial disputes also involve other claimants, including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
Japan鈥檚 government separately protested to Beijing on Tuesday, saying that a Chinese reconnaissance plane violated its airspace and forced it to scramble fighter jets.
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Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila in Manila, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Jim Gomez, The Associated Press
