Harris reviews an honour guard at the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, Philippines on Nov 21, 2022. - Reuters
MANILA (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): The relationship between the United States and the Philippines is long and enduring and American commitment unwavering, US Vice-President Kamala Harris said on Monday (Nov 21) after meeting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
After the meeting, Marcos also said ties between the two countries remained strong and important.
This comes as the Philippine military disclosed that a Chinese Coast Guard ship on Sunday “forcefully retrieved” what was suspected to be rocket debris being towed by a Philippine Navy boat on disputed waters in the South China Sea.
Philippine Navy Vice-Admiral Alberto Carlos said the Chinese ship blocked the small navy boat that was towing an “unidentified floating object” towards the Philippine-garrisoned Thitu island.
The Chinese then deployed an inflatable boat team that “forcefully retrieved said floating object by cutting the towing line attached to the (Filipino) rubber boat”, he said.
The object “looks similar” to floating debris that resembled Chinese rocket fairings, which were recovered this month from the island of Busuanga, north of Palawan province, military spokeswoman Major Cherryl Tindog told reporters.
Harris is set to visit Palawan – bulwark of Philippine defences in the heavily disputed southern part of the South China Sea – on Tuesday.
The Philippine foreign ministry said it was “aware of the incident and awaits the detailed reports from maritime law enforcement agencies”.
China claims most of the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which billions of dollars of goods pass each year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
Thitu, known to Filipinos as Pag-asa (Hope), is close to Subi Reef, one of seven artificial islands in the Spratlys on which China has installed surface-to-air missiles and other weapons.
