MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines' top diplomat welcomed the open support of longtime ally the United States for the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea, as well as its reaffirmation of its commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
During the Special ASEAN-US Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Wednesday (Manila time), Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. stressed that the five-year-old arbitral award is binding international law.
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The Hague-based United Nations-backed tribunal sided with the Philippines, invalidating China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, part of which is the Philippine Sea.
"As such, it contributes to the rules-based order in ASEAN and benefits all the countries that use the vital artery that is the South China Sea. The rest is bluster," Locsin said.
The DFA chief also stressed that the landmark ruling is the "most authoritative application of UNCLOS on the maritime entitlements of features in the South China Sea."
On the fifth anniversary of the Hague ruling, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed Washington's July 13, 2020 policy branding Beijing's claims to offshore resources in the contested waterway as "completely unlawful."
“We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke US mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” Blinken added.
China, meanwhile, strongly opposed Blinken's statement, claiming that it disregards merits and objective facts of the South China Sea issue.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the US statement was "completely irresponsible."
"It deliberately stokes disputes on territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, sows discord among regional countries and undermines regional peace and stability," Zhao said in a press briefing on Monday.
Beijing continues to disregard the 2016 arbitral ruling, insisting that the South China Sea arbitration has "major fallacies."
"The award of the arbitration is illegal, null and void. It is nothing more than a piece of waste paper. China does not accept or participate in the arbitration, nor does it accept or recognize the award. China's sovereignty and rights and interests over the South China Sea are not affected at all by the arbitration and China does not accept any claim or act based on it," he added.