Madrid, 12 (European Press)

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned China on Sunday of its “threats” in the South China Sea to the Philippines and reiterated that any “armed attack” would activate the two countries’ defense commitments.

In a statement issued by the North American country’s foreign ministry, it stressed that “nowhere is the international rules-based maritime order more threatened than in the South China Sea” because “China continues to coerce and intimidate” Southeast Asian countries.

Likewise, the message was launched to mark the fifth anniversary of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in which the Philippines agreed in its maritime dispute with China and decided that the latter country had no “historic” right to uphold it. To claim certain areas of the South Sea.

In this sense, he emphasized that the United States continues to agree with this ruling as well as with its policy a year ago in which it rejected the maritime claims of the Asian giant in this area.

“We reiterate that any armed attack against the Armed Forces of the Philippines, general ships or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke mutual defensive commitments,” he warned.

Finally, he called on China to “comply with its obligations under international law” and stop its provocative behaviour.

Years ago, China entered into a territorial dispute with Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines over several islands located in the South China Sea. On the continental shelf of these islands, significant hydrocarbon reserves have been discovered, mainly in Xisha (Paracel Islands), Nansha (Spratly Islands) and Huangyan (Scarborough Reef).