South China Sea clash not armed attack, Philippines needs to ‘do more’ than protest: Marcos
- The president said the June 17 incident was a ‘deliberate action to stop our people’ from resupplying troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal
“We have filed over a hundred protests, we have already made a similar number of démarche,” Marcos told reporters. “We have to do more than just that.”
No shots were fired on June 17, so the actions by the China coastguard could not be considered an armed attack, but it was a “deliberate action to stop our people” from resupplying troops stationed at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, Marcos said.
China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Marcos’ remarks on Thursday.
The United States, which has condemned China’s actions, reaffirmed its ironclad commitment to the Philippines during a call between Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday.
“The two officials discussed the importance of preserving the rights of all nations to fly, sail, and operate – safely and responsibly – wherever international law allows,” the Pentagon said in a readout.