Duterte 'blames' the US after Vietnamese ships rescued 22 Philippine boats sunk by Chinese ships
The Philippine president has strongly protested against the United States, saying Washington has seen the country as a "bait" in the dispute over disputed islands in the South China Sea.
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| Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: AP |
The past few days of July have been really turbulent in the US-Philippines relationship, when a series of events in the East Sea related to Manila and Beijing but Washington remained "inactive", especially the incident in which a fishing boat of 22 Filipino fishermen was sunk by a Chinese ship, causing the entire crew on board to drift at sea for many hours before being rescued by a Vietnamese fishing boat.
Afterwards, President Rodrigo Duterte himself had to speak up and challenge the US to send the entire 7th Fleet to the disputed sea area to fight the Chinese Navy:
“I am calling on America now! Where is America? I am focusing on the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty. I want America to assemble all the mighty 7th Fleet in front of the Chinese Navy. I am asking them to act now. And I will go to war with all of them!”, President Duterte said in an interview on Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s TV show.
In a related development, as Washington's response to Manila, the US Navy has decided to send an aircraft carrier to the East Sea in the context of Beijing's increased military activities in this sea area.
