PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines -- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is flying to a western Philippines island province at the edge of the South China Sea today to amplify America's support to its treaty ally and underline U.S. interest in freedom of navigation in the disputed waters, where it has repeatedly chastised China for belligerent actions.
A new confrontation erupted in the contested waterway ahead of her visit when the Philippine navy alleged a Chinese coast guard vessel had forcibly seized Chinese rocket debris as Filipino sailors were towing it to their island.
The long-seething territorial conflicts involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have long been regarded as an Asian flashpoint and a delicate fault line in the U.S.-China rivalry in the region.
In talks with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila on Monday, Harris reaffirmed Washington's commitment to defend the Philippines under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obligates the allies to help defend any side which comes under attack.
"An armed attack on the Philippines armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke U.S. Mutual Defense commitments," Harris told Marcos Jr. "And that is an unwavering commitment that we have to the Philippines."
Marcos Jr. thanked Harris, saying that with the upheavals in the region and beyond, "this partnership becomes even more important."
In Palawan's main city of Puerto Princesa, Harris will visit a small fishing community called Tagburos and discuss with impoverished villagers the impact of illegal fishing on their livelihood, and promote responsible fishing.
The Philippine coast guard said it will welcome Harris on board one of its biggest patrol ships, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, at a seaport in Puerto Princesa, where she is scheduled to deliver a speech to underscore the importance of international law, freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce in the South China Sea.
She will announce an additional aid of $7.5 million to Philippine maritime law enforcement agencies to boost their capacity to counter illegal fishing, carry out sea surveillance and help in search and rescue efforts, including in the South China Sea, according to a statement issued by the vice president's office.
The Philippine coast guard will also get additional U.S. help to upgrade its vessel traffic management system for better safety at sea. The Philippines is also now receiving real-time surveillance data to be able to detect and counter illicit activities at sea in a project by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, an informal strategic bloc that involves the U.S., India, Japan and Australia, according to Harris's office.
INDONESIAN DEFENSE TIES
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin met his Indonesian counterpart on Monday to push stronger defense ties amid growing Chinese naval activity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Austin, at a joint news conference after meeting with Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, said they discussed ways to deepen the two countries' partnership, including through expanding interoperability and increasing investments in defense education.
"The United States is proud to partner with you as we work together to advance our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific," Austin said.
But Subianto stressed Indonesia's neutral stance.
"I like to emphasize that Indonesia always takes the position of trying to maintain the best relationships with all nations, especially all the major powers," Subianto said.
Austin arrived in Jakarta late Sunday from a visit to Canada's Halifax city, where he spoke about U.S. efforts to build a more resilient security architecture with allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific and Europe, at the Halifax International Security Forum.
His visit to Indonesia comes less than a week after leaders of the Group of 20 economies met on Indonesia's resort island of Bali. In a declaration, most strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and warned that the conflict is making an already delicate world economy worse.
"We are meeting as the world is grappling with assaults on the rules-based international order, especially Russia's unprovoked invasion against Ukraine," Austin said, "And it's especially vital now that more like-minded countries come together to uphold our shared principles, including the rule of law."
Information for this article was contributed by Jim Gomez and Niniek Karmini of The Associated Press.