US Says Philippines Took ‘Bold Step’ in Barrier Row With China

Personnel on board Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ship monitor a Chinese coast guard, right, ship near the entrance of Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal on Sept. 22. Photographer: Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images

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By Andreo Calonzo

September 29, 2023 at 4:49 AM UTC

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The US has backed the Philippines’ removal of a South China Sea barrier supposedly installed by Beijing, with a Pentagon official describing the move as a “bold step” to defend maritime claims.

The US is also committed to defend the Southeast Asian nation in case of an armed attack on its vessels in the South China Sea in accordance with a decades-old treaty, according to Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Lindsey Ford.