MANILA, Philippines (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday condemned China's dangerous actions against the Philippines and renewed a warning that the United States would defend its treaty ally if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the increasingly volatile waters.
During a visit to the Philippine province of Palawan next to the disputed South China Sea, Austin was asked if the strong U.S. military support to the Philippines would continue under incoming President Donald Trump, including $500 million in new military funding.
Austin expressed belief that the strong alliance “will transcend" changes of administration. “We stand with the Philippines and we condemn dangerous actions by the PRC against lawful Philippine operations in the South China Sea,” he said, using the acronym of China’s official name. He added: “The behavior of PRC has been concerning.
They’ve used dangerous and escalatory measures to enforce their expansive South China Sea maritime claims." China has also had recent territorial spats with smaller coastal states, including Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia , over the key global trade and security route. Brunei and Taiwan are also involved in long-unresolved disputes.
The outgoing Biden administration has taken steps to strengthen an arc of military alliances across the Indo-Pacific region to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan or in the South China Sea, which Beijing has claimed almost .
