WASHINGTON, 28 January, 2021 (TON): In a statement on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken denied China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea beyond permitted under international law and supported the South Asian nations resisting its pressure.

Blinken made the remarks in a call with Philippine Foreign Minister, Teodoro Locsin, in which he focused on the importance of the long-standing defense agreement between the allies and its clear application if Manila came under attack in the South China Sea.

“Secretary Blinken pledged to stand with Southeast Asian claimants in the face of PRC pressure,” it said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

“Secretary Blinken stressed the importance of the Mutual Defense Treaty for the security of both nations, and its clear application to armed attacks against the Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, which includes the South China Sea,” it said.

His statement came after Locsin’s on Wednesday stating that the Philippines had filed a diplomatic protest over China’s passing of a law allowing its coastguard to open fire on foreign vessels, describing it as a “threat of war”.

On Friday 22, January, 2021, a legislation passed by China allowed the coastguard to use all the necessary means to stop threats from foreign vessels, including demolishing other countries’ structures built on Chinese-claimed reefs.

China claims almost all of the major trade route, South-China Sea. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

China on Tuesday said it would hold military drills of its own this week.

On Monday, a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippines hoped no country would do anything to increase tension.

Contrary to this, the U.S. has accused China of taking advantage of the global pandemic and to hold its presence in the Sea. In order to promote freedom of Seas, U.S. has sent a carrier group through the waterway.