July 12, 2021

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the South China Sea arbitration. The United States has warned China it stands behind the ruling and is committed to defend the Philippines' armed forces from attacks. Beijing has hit back, saying this is simply a political act. CGTN's Cui Hui'ao speaks to an expert on the region to find out more. 

In a written statement on Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the US could invoke the US-Philippine mutual defense pact if China takes any military action against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea.

WU SHICUN President National Institute for South China Sea Studies "The US statement is to shore up its relations with Philippines, which took a hit during the Trump administration. It violates the US government's long-standing commitment to not take side on the South China Sea issue. And let's not forget the US has not yet joined the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, so it has no right to talk about maritime rights or duties with China."

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