Commander of the US Navy's 7th Fleet Karl Thomas announced continued support for the Philippines in the face of "common challenges" in the region, especially in the East Sea.
“Our forces are here for a reason,” Vice Adm. Thomas said today. “You have to challenge those who are operating in the gray zone. As they get further and further out and push you, you have to push them back, you have to go out and act.”
“There is really no more relevant example of aggressive behavior than what happened on August 5,” he added, referring to the incident in which Chinese coast guard water cannons were used on a Philippine supply ship at Second Thomas Shoal in Vietnam’s Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
Commander of the US Navy's 7th Fleet, Vice Admiral Karl Thomas. Photo: AFP
The commander of the 7th Fleet said he had discussed with Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, head of the Philippine Western Command in charge of monitoring the situation in the South China Sea, "to understand what the challenges" of Manila are and "to find ways to help".
“I want to make sure he (Vice Admiral Carlos) understands what we have available,” Vice Admiral Thomas said.
The 7th Fleet, headquartered in Japan, operates up to 70 warships, has about 150 aircraft and more than 27,000 sailors. They operate over 124 million square kilometers from bases in Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
A Chinese coast guard ship sprays water cannon at a Philippine ship during an incident on August 5. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard
Second Thomas Shoal is part of Vietnam’s Spratly Islands. In 1999, the Philippine Navy rammed the decrepit warship BRP Sierra Madre onto Second Thomas Shoal, turning it into an outpost to maintain an illegal presence in the area. The Philippine military deployed a marine unit on the warship and had to rely entirely on supplies from the mainland.
The August 5 incident was not the first time China has obstructed Philippine vessels at Second Thomas Shoal. In November 2021, three Chinese coast guard ships also blocked the way, flashing their headlights and spraying water cannons, forcing Philippine supply ships to abort their mission and return.
Vu Hoang (According to Reuters )
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