Philippines:
The US has warned that it will defend the Philippines if there is an attack on Philippine ships or aircraft in the South China Sea.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the statement on the sixth anniversary of a 2016 decision by an international arbitration tribunal that ruled in favor of the Philippines over the largely disputed maritime boundary. China did not participate in the mediation.
"We reaffirm that an armed attack on the Philippine Armed Forces will result in the call for America's mutual defense commitments," Blinken said in a statement on Tuesday. The Allies agreed on mutual defense commitments in a treaty in 1951.
"We once again request the People's Republic of China to fulfill its obligations under international law and stop its provocative behavior,"
The Philippines' newly-appointed Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said on Tuesday that the 2016 court findings are "conclusive and indisputable."
Without naming China, Manalo said, "We strongly oppose any attempt to weaken it, erase it from the law, history and our collective memories."
After a period of heated relations with China under former President Rodrigo Duterte, the new administration has signaled a renewed focus on the maritime dispute. To celebrate the anniversary of the arbitration tribunal, activists in the Philippines protested outside the Chinese consulate in Makati.
This comes just a day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned leaders at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, not to be used as "chess pieces" by major powers.
Which countries have territorial claims in the South China Sea?
China and the Philippines have been at loggerheads for decades over areas of the South China Sea, including several small islands and reefs. Each country claims the sea as its traditional fishing grounds. Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all have competing maritime claims.
This waterway is an important global shipping route, transporting approximately $5 trillion (€5 trillion) of goods each year.The South China Sea is also known to be abundant in oil and gas reserves.
There will be a 'lockdown' again, this will be the reason
