USINDOPACOM chief Adm. Samuel Paparo, left, with Philippines military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. in Baguio on Aug. 29, 2024. | Photo credit: AP
A US admiral said on Thursday that American forces are prepared with a “variety of options” to deal with growing aggression in the disputed South China Sea if ordered to do so jointly and after consultation with treaty ally the Philippines.
Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), which leads the largest number of combat forces outside the US mainland, declined to provide details of contingency options.
Admiral Paparo’s comments came at a news conference when he was asked what the long-term treaty allies could do to deal with China’s so-called grey-zone tactics in the disputed waters.
Gray-zone tactics refer to attacks such as water cannon attacks and blocking and ramming rival ships in disputed waters, which fall within the threshold of actual armed aggression and do not allow the Philippines to invoke the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States, which obliges either country to assist the other in case of armed external aggression.
“We certainly have a number of options prepared and, if called upon, stand prepared to pursue them in concert with our partner after consultation and in accordance with USINDOPACOM treaty,” Admiral Paparo said.
He said detailing US military options would give “potential adversaries” the opportunity to “take measures to counter them.”
Admiral Paparo held a joint news conference with Philippines Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Romero Brawner Jr. after the two led an annual meeting in the mountainous city of Baguio in the northern Philippines to discuss security challenges and military plans. This includes Balikatan (Shoulder to Shoulder) — the treaty allies’ largest combat exercise — which involved more than 16,000 U.S. and Filipino forces in April and was conducted partly in the South China Sea.
Responding to a question, Admiral Paparo reiterated that the US military, after treaty consultations with the Philippines, is prepared to provide protection to Philippine ships in the South China Sea amid escalation of hostilities between Beijing and Manila in the disputed waters.
Such a possibility would put US Navy ships at risk of direct collision with Chinese ships.
Washington and Beijing remain at loggerheads over China’s increasingly aggressive actions to defend its territorial claims in the South China Sea and Beijing’s stated goal of annexing Taiwan, by force if necessary.
Gen. Broner said the Philippines can still defend itself in the disputed waters, where hostilities with the Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia vessels have alarmingly escalated over the past year.
last resort
General Broner told reporters, “If we have exhausted all options and nothing works, then that is the time we can ask for help.” When Filipino forces in the disputed waters are “on the verge of dying” because food supplies are being blocked by Chinese forces, “then that is the time we should ask for help from the United States,” General Broner said, but he also added that “we still have a lot of options.”
China has angered the Philippines by repeatedly harassing its navy and coast guard ships with powerful water cannons, military-grade lasers, blockades and other dangerous maneuvers in the open sea near the two disputed South China Sea coasts. These have led to minor collisions that have injured several Filipino navy personnel and damaged supply boats.