Australia Delivers Ships to Philippines Ahead of SCS Court Ruling

[Valin]

:

Mar 30 2016

Earlier this week, Australia delivered the Philippines the last three Landing Craft Heavy, part of a deal between Canberra and Manila aimed at bolstering ties between the two nations. Philstar Global:

(Snip)

The arrangement was clearly made with Beijing’s South China Sea activities in mind, and it’s the latest demonstration of the consequences of Chinese aggression in the region. The Philippines has taken China’s claims to an international court. In anticipation of a ruling, the United States said on Wednesday that it will not recognize an exclusion zone in the South China Sea. If China loses in court, Washington worries we may see a repeat of events in the East China Sea in 2013 when Beijing declared an air defense identification zone in the region. Speaking about the South China Sea, Deputy Secretary of Defense told Reuters, “We don’t believe they have a basis in international law, and we’ve said over and over (that) we will fly, sail and go wherever international law allows.”

 

The court’s influential decision is expected to come in the next few weeks. After it is announced, we’ll see what those pledges mean.