The Daily Tribune
U.S. reaffirms MDT commitment amid China’s ‘unsafe’ actions in Bajo de Masinloc
The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines after a Chinese military helicopter engaged in unsafe actions near Bajo de Masinloc.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce condemned the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) for interfering with a Philippine operation and endangering a Bureau of Fisheries and Resources (BFAR) plane.
Bruce emphasized that the 1951 MDT covers armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of its Coast Guard, anywhere in the South China Sea.
She urged China to cease coercive actions and resolve disputes peacefully according to international law, stating that China's actions threaten navigation and overflight in the region.
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The US Department of State condemned the dangerous flight maneuvers of a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy helicopter, identified by tail number 68, which flew as close as three meters to a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources aircraft near Scarborough Shoal.
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A Chinese Navy helicopter flew dangerously close, within three meters, to a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft over Bajo de Masinloc on February 18, an incident the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) described as highly provocative.
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