Philippines Foreign Secretary Says ‘If China Attacks Our Navy, We’ll Call The US’

SCMP: South China Sea: ‘If China attacks our navy, we’ll call the US’, Philippines says

* In a first under the Duterte administration, Manila says it is prepared to invoke its Mutual Defence Treaty with the US in the face of Chinese aggression
* Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr also vows to continue air patrols over the South China Sea that Beijing has denounced as ‘illegal provocations’

Manila will invoke its defence agreement with the United States if China attacks its naval vessels in the South China Sea, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr said on Wednesday.

His comments mark the first time the Rodrigo Duterte administration has openly declared it would turn to Washington for help, amid ongoing flare-ups between Manila and Beijing in the disputed waters.

Locsin, who appeared on the ANC news channel’s morning talk show, said Manila would continue air patrols over the South China Sea despite Beijing’s calls to halt what it described as “illegal provocations”.

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Update #1: Philippines Threatens To Use US Navy To Counter Chinese Belligerence In South China Sea (Eurasian Times)
Update #2: Philippines to call US for help if China attacks navy (Taiwan News)

WNU Editor: Would the US go to war if the Philippines provoke a fight with China? Even after all the threats and insults against the from Philippine President Duterte? You tell me.