US not coming to Philipines aid vs China

[JAISWAL]

The United States yesterday said it will not side with any party in the Spratlys conflict, which is to say that the Philippines' most powerful ally will not be coming to its aid should its spat with China escalate into a shooting war.

The US Embassy made this clear yesterday in reaction to a Malacañang statement earlier yesterday expressing confidence that Washington would honor its commitment under the two countries' Mutual Defense Treaty to come to the aid of a beleaguered ally.

"The US does not take sides in regional territorial disputes," the US press attaché Rebecca Thompson said in an e-mailed statement when contacted for comment to deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte's invoking of the 60-year-old MDT.

Thompson said the US was "troubled by incidents in the South China Sea in recent days that have raised tensions in the region" and that Washington opposes "the use or threat of force" by any of the countries with rival claims to the Spratly islands.

The brief statement said the US "shares a number of national interests with the international community in the South China Sea" but did not mention the Philippines or the two countries' over-a-hundred-year-old ties and mutual defense pact.

In an interview on state-run dzRB radio earlier yesterday, Valte figured the Philippines could count on its superpower ally should the situation with China deteriorate because of the MDT.

"I haven't seen the terms of the MDT quite recently but I know that as an ally, the United States will help if ever it reaches that point because of the Mutual Defense Treaty," she said.

"Hopefully, it doesn't get to that point because, again, we are committed to the resolution of the issue in the most diplomatic and the most peaceful way possible," she added.

Armed Forces Chief General Eduardo Oban was also earlier quoted as saying that the military remained "hopeful that the Americans will not stand aside should the conflict erupt and that they can invoke the MDT with the US."

[The MDT was signed on Aug. 13, 1951, in Washington, D.C. with both parties declaring "publicly and formally their sense of unity and their common determination to defend themselves against external armed attack."

Under the eight articles of the treaty, both parties agree to aid and support each other in settling any international disputes by peaceful means, among others.
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For full article go to following link-- US not coming to PH aid vs China | Inquirer News

 

[roma]

one possibility is that the philippines cleared out their US military bases in the 1980's and so the US is taking a justifiable stand that " we cant help you" .....the other possiibility is that the US is more concerned with the iraq-afghan-pakland area as their top priority and phil goes too far down the list .

 

[Armand2REP]

One possible reason is the US does not deal with territorial disputes and the other is the US will come to the defence of its ally if and when shooting starts. It is pretty clear...

 

[redragon]

You are laughable, the reason is USA has its hands tightened, when it withdraws from Afghanistan it will change it's tone, but that really does not matter to China, it has been included in calculation.

 

[JAISWAL]

your chinese calculation will get a spin-off if the usa enters that conflict.
So its advisable to first analyse the situation before experimenting.
The defence contract between PH and USA is well defined and i think they dont want to miss an aportunity have a measure of china and there weapon system.
And i also think that the above statement is just a eye-wash and usa will help its allay, otherwise they will be in a deep sh*t in south/south-east asian reagion without any allay to depend and this disasterous for usa foriegn pollicy.

 

[asianobserve]

Or maybe the Philippines havn't not been much of an ally to the US lately. The latter part of the Arroyo administration saw a deepening of ties with the PRC while one of the early diplomatic overtures of the Aquino administration is the snubbing of the Nobel Prize Awards when the PRC voiced vocal objections to the awarding of a dissident.

 

[AOE]

Or maybe the Philippines havn't not been much of an ally to the US lately. The latter part of the Arroyo administration saw a deepening of ties with the PRC while one of the early diplomatic overtures of the Aquino administration is the snubbing of the Nobel Prize Awards when the PRC voiced vocal objections to the awarding of a dissident.

I hope you don't mind, but could you expand a bit more on this? I'm unfamiliar with this development of relations between the US and the Phillipines.

 

[asianobserve]

Well, for a start the Philippines kicked the US out of Subic (this is a major source of bitterness for the Americans as Subic was its most strategic major Asian bases). Then pulled out its troops from Iraq just 1 yr into the mission despite the pleas of the Americans for them to maintain their otherwise token force.

But of more recent development is the redirection of Philippine national interest towards Asia, in particular towards China. This decade saw the tremendous increase in direct Chinese investments in the Philippines everything from infra to telecommunications.
The latest of course is the break away by the new administration with the US on the Nobel Price on Chinese dissident issue by not sending delegates to Oslo. This is not really of the magnitude of the bases issue but this only reinforces suspicion in Washington towards the changing symphaties of the Philippines.

 

[Godless-Kafir]

I guess this would be the right time for SAARC to rethink its roll and become more united like EU? I am sure all the South Asian countries along with India get united it would be a force to recoken with?

 

[asianobserve]

I guess this would be the right time for SAARC to rethink its roll and become more united like EU? I am sure all the South Asian countries along with India get united it would be a force to recoken with?

Agree on the united part. But you must understand that the SEA countries are well within the US camp. They're a practical bunch. Though they're formidable collectively they still believe that overall closer alliance with the US is an assurance for them. Most of them, except Myanmar and to a certain extent Malaysia, are very suspicious about PRC's intentions in the region. It does not help that the PRC had been bellicose lately in the Spratlys and Paracels.

 

[Godless-Kafir]

Agree on the united part. But you must understand that the SEA countries are well within the US camp. They're a practical bunch. Though they're formidable collectively they still believe that overall closer alliance with the US is an assurance for them. Most of them, except Myanmar and to a certain extent Malaysia, are very suspicious about PRC's intentions in the region. It does not help that the PRC had been bellicose lately in the Spratlys and Paracels.

Well if SAARC gets united that does not mean we lose our friendship with the US. We can still have our own independent foreign policies. The point is such an union can help to prevent economic and military bullying and also help during economic crisis to increase trade with in the region. After all trade and contact between these countries have existed for thousands of years. The biggest block for the Union are Burma, Pakistan and other non-democratic countries except Vietnam. Pakistan will try to sabotage any Union because of its enmity with India and Burma is a military junta which is hostile towards its own people.

I think if India,Thailand and Malaysia put military pressure on Burma to transform into a Democracy it will have to open up.

 

[asianobserve]

"I think if India,Thailand and Malaysia put military pressure on Burma to transform into a Democracy it will have to open up."

At the moment only an internal upheaval or an invasion can transform Myanmar into a democracy. Both are not unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future.

 

[amoy]

Myanmar is already a "democracy" with a "civil" govt "converted" from the military junta in power. Mind u there're China's friends in SAARC like SL, BD in addition to PK. Even among ASEAN members Thailand, Cambodia and Laos plus Myanmar are in good terms with China. Malaysia and Indonesia are not in confrontation with China.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

cross posted
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/307849#ixzz1P4FxPzVb

US, Philippines to hold war games amid tension in South China Sea

Read more: US, Philippines to hold war games amid tension in South China Sea

The United States and the Philippines are set to hold naval exercise amid heightened tension in Western Philippine Sea following allegations of intrusion by Chinese Naval personnel in the Philippine-occupied area of the disputed Spratly Islands.

Philippine military authorities said though the the joint naval exercise has nothing to do with the reported Chinese incursions in Philippine territories, according to Armed Forces spokesman Commodore Jose Miguel Rodriguez.

Philstar.com reports, "It has been programmed since last year," Rodriguez added. There has been no announcement yet of the specific location of the military exercises but Navforwest operates mainly in the Sulu Sea and nearby waters.

Earlier the Philippines said it has documented at least six intrusions by China's naval boats into Philippine sea lanes. China denied the allegations and said they were based on rumors.

The report said, "The planned naval exercise, called "Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training" or CARAT, is in accordance with the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the US, officials said."

The Philippines said it is preparing a diplomatic protest to the United Nations on the alleged intrusion by China's naval boats in the disputed islands.

A day after the exchange of heated diplomatic notes in Manila, Vietnam has joined the already tense situation by accusing China of their presence in a Vietnam-occupied island where a seismic operation is being conducted. Vietnam claims a Chinese naval boat has caused damage to their seismic equipment and facilities in the area.

Vietnam, in an apparent move to flex its muscle on the disputed sea lanes said it will conduct a live ammunition drill in the area on Monday. The planned military exercise by Vietnam is similar to the scheduled US-Philippine war games in the West Philippine Sea on June 28.

The Spratly Islands are being claimed in whole or in part by several countries in Southeast Asia including China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and the Philippines.

Meanwhile the US has expressed its desire to pursue a peaceful resolution of the on-going tension in the Spratlys involving six claimant countries.

"We've been troubled by some of these reports about the South China Sea and believe they only serve to raise tensions and don't help with the peace and security of the region," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

"We support a collaborative diplomatic process... and call on all claimants to conform all of their claims, both land and maritime, to international law," he said.


Read more: US, Philippines to hold war games amid tension in South China Sea

 

[tony4562]

It's a teritorial dispute. It would be stupid for US to come out and side openly with anyone. And to piss off China certainly does not feature very high on the agenda of Obama's administration today.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

It's a teritorial dispute. It would be stupid for US to come out and side openly with anyone. And to piss off China certainly does not feature very high on the agenda of Obama's administration today.

war games with Phillipines is not taking sides?? China does not dictate US foreign policy.

 

[tony4562]

US clearly sides with the Phillipines or Vietnam or anyone who opposes China here, but only in private. To side openly with the Phillipines or Vietnam would make US look real bad and stupid. The exercies as well as sending in a destroyer clearly have China in mind, but these are very limited reactions. The fact that US is not sending a carrier task force shows that she really does not wish to be directly involved in the dispute.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

US clearly sides with the Phillipines or Vietnam or anyone who opposes China here, but only in private. To side openly with the Phillipines or Vietnam would make US look real bad and stupid. The exercies as well as sending in a destroyer clearly have China in mind, but these are very limited reactions. The fact that US is not sending a carrier task force shows that she really does not wish to be directly involved in the dispute.

Is this in private?? US is not scaird of China.



Philippines-US defense pact to help ease tensions with China


MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang hopes that the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States will help reduce tension with China over the Spratlys.

Speaking to reporters after the Independence Day reception toast of President Aquino, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said the pact may be invoked by the Philippines in any military problem.

"The relevant portion of that treaty is that the US has been our ally and they will come, and we expect na talagang kasama natin sila (they are with us) in any problem that will require their help," he said.

"It's a diplomatic problem, it's a political and diplomatic issue, so we will solve it along those lines," he said. "We don't want to encourage anything that will exacerbate the issues there."

He called for caution in handling the conflict, emphasizing that the issues involve international law and are being addressed diplomatically.

Ochoa said the National Security Council, which he chairs, has not yet convened to discuss the Spratlys issue, although all NSC members have been "in constant communication" with each other on the matter.

President Aquino hopes that dialogue and mutual respect could resolve the differences between the Philippines and China.

"Let us continue along this path, to create partnerships characterized by continued dialogue and a culture of mutual respect for our historic and current partners," he said.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda has asked other claimants to refrain from issuing statements that may heighten tension.

"The Republic of the Philippines has stated its position on the various territorial issues in the West Philippine Sea," he said.

"We are committed to dialogue with other claimants. We call on all parties to refrain from inflammatory statements that would make it more difficult to reach a mutually agreeable solution."

He was specifically referring to the Reed Bank, a territory near Palawan declared by the Philippines as part of its territory.

"Our goal here is really a peaceful resolution, so it's better for the parties to talk away from the cameras to have a better discussion," he said.

Lacierda said Malacañang leaves it to the Department of National Defense to make the announcements regarding the measures being taken to protect the Philippine waters._

Philippine-China relations remain good, he added.

Lacierda said China and the Philippines believe that everything should be resolved peacefully through dialogue, Lacierda said.

"We believe in a multi-lateral approach on all the disputed areas including all the claimants in the South China Sea," he said.

"We strongly believe that in our discussion with China, they are open and very hopeful for a peaceful resolution and this could be done diplomatically."

Meanwhile, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. does not favor asking US help in the dispute over the Spratlys.

The war games with the US are not a show of force against China, he added.

In an interview after the 113th Independence Day rites in Malolos yesterday, Belmonte said the Philippines must sit down with other claimants.

"Right now, ang unang dapat gawin ay makasama ang iba pang claimants, di lang tayo, magkaisa tayo ng stand vis a vis China." he said. (The first thing that needs to be done is to get together with other claimants and reach a common stand vis a vis China).

"I'm not in favor na tawagin ang Estados Unidos, kung may tatawagin tayo, magpulong pulong muna tayo, tawagin muna ang lahat ng claimants." (Am not in favor of calling in the US. If we have to call someone let's gather all the claimants first). —Delon Porcalla, Dino Balabo

 

[trackwhack]

Philippines rejects new Chinese territorial claim - CBS News

What the hell are the Chinese upto?

They spot is 500 miles from China and 50 miles from Philippines and China claims it to be theirs. This is sick!!!

 

[Tshering22]

Vietnam will seize this opportunity. It is shame that a small country like Philippines with zero military firepower has manager to irk the Chinese and send them into a thought-huddle while we who boast ourselves as the fourth most powerful country on the planet, can't do this.

Knowing the SEA, Vietnam will definitely offer a hand to Philippines. We should make it our policy to supply BrahMos, Shivalik class frigates, Dhanush ballistic missiles to them. Also once Shaurya is in, we could offer them the same as well.

WTF is "It will annoy China"? Chinese OPENLY supply weapons to Pakistan and then also come for friendship. Why the Eff can't we do the same? Oh I know; we don't have Modi in on the top job yet.

If I were incharge of defense, I'd immediately sanction additional workforce to be trained for expanding BrahMos assembly lines and send a batch free of cost to Vietnamese.