While America has maintained military agreements with the nations potentially affected by a South China Sea ADIZ, no equivalent to the treaty between Washington and Tokyo exists in the region.
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Carter did not speak out against China, but has previously condemned Beijing’s island building and last week said it risked creating a “Great Wall of self-isolation”.
Philippines’ President-elect Rodrigo Duterte answers questions during a news conference in Davao City, southern Philippines May 31, 2016.
Besides China and the Philippines, parts of the South China Sea are claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.
In fact, since China and the Philippines established diplomatic ties in 1975, bilateral relations had developed a lot with broadening cooperation in a wide range of areas.
The three-day summit in Singapore will discuss, among others topics, “managing military competition in Asia” and “managing South China Sea tensions”.
“This “umbrella” is a serious step and I think that the United States and its allies will not support the move”.
A ruling is expected in the coming weeks, with the Philippines’ response to it likely to be left to Duterte, who takes office on June 30.
China has been angered by what it views as provocative U.S. military patrols close to islands China controls in the South China Sea.
Duterte made headlines during his election campaign by saying he would ride a jetski to plant a Philippine flag on China’s man-made islands.
They said China’s relentless territorial claims to the South China Sea may also feature dominantly, as they did a year ago, especially since several Southeast Asian countries, along with the USA and Japan, have been opposed to what they see as Beijing’s territorial expansionism.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang said the United States should not decide its policy on the South China Sea based on what its allies think, and should stick to its promises not to take sides in the dispute.
On February 19, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that patrols by USA military aircraft and navy vessels as well as its joint military drills with regional partners are behind “escalated tensions” in the South China Sea.
The rival claimants have been fretting over what they see as China’s expansionism as it rushes to exert sovereignty over the vital waterway, a major global shipping route believed to have large oil and gas reserves and through which about US$ 5 trillion in trade passes each year. Xinhua, a state news outlet, is once again showcasing numerous articles urging the United States to stay out of the region and allow China to usurp the territory of its neighbors.
“We hope the USA could keep its promise and take no side”, Zheng said, noting that Washington should determine its position based on the actual rights and wrongs, instead of the position of its allies.
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One source was quoted as saying a move was dependent on whether the USA “keeps making provocative moves to challenge China’s sovereignty in the region”.
