In a statement on Thursday, the Philippines announced it was ‘keeping all its options open’ regarding its response to China’s presence in the Whitsun Reef. This could potentially include the expulsion of Chinese diplomats.
Meanwhile, the US has reaffirmed that any moves against the Philippines would trigger its defense clause and oblige the US to come to the islands’ defense.
Ned Price, a spokesman for the State Department told reporters: “An armed attack against the Philippines' armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, will trigger our obligations under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty." The dispute with China now drags on into its second month.
Manila claims that there have been at least 200 Chinese military vessels parked in disputed waters since early March. Originally just stationed in the Whitsun Reef area, the ships have now reportedly spread throughout the Spratly Islands, an archipelago whose claim is currently disputed by Beijing, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.
While China sees the region as part of its own territory, the Whitsun Reef and surrounding areas also fall within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Official protests by Manila against the Chinese presence in the region have since been dismissed by Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, who denies that any of the ships are connected with military operations, referring to them as fishing vessels that are sheltering from recent rough seas.
Hostility between the two nations has been on the rise in recent days however, with Beijing accusing Manila of “harboring ulterior motives and hostile intentions”.
In response to the ongoing dispute, the US and China have both dispatched warships into the disputed waters. The United States is utilizing “freedom of navigation” policies to dispute China’s territorial claims in the region.
Vietnam recently joined the US, Japan, and Indonesia in opposing the presence of Chinese vessels in the disputed waters.