“Iron-clad” support for Manila: Blinken amidst SCS controversy

Manila: As confrontations between Chinese and Filipino coast guards in the disputed South China Sea have lately become increasingly violent, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised Washington’s “ironclad commitment” on Tuesday to assist in defending the Philippines in the event of an armed assault on its troops. The most recent high-ranking official to visit the US treaty ally, Blinken, first visited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila on Tuesday after meeting with his colleague Enrique Manalo in the Philippines.

In April, Biden will convene a White House meeting with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and Marcos. The three will probably talk about the mounting worries about China’s aggressive tactics in the South China Sea. “We have a shared concern about the PRC’s actions that threaten our common vision for a free, open Indo-Pacific,” Blinken said.