South China Sea: U.S. Says Open To Patrols With The Philippines

February 3, 2016 | 08:21 GMT

The United States is open to the possibility of joint naval patrols with the Philippines through disputed waters in the South China Sea, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg said Feb. 3, Reuters reported. Any such exercise would focus on ensuring “freedom of navigation” in the contested waters, Goldberg said. His statement comes less than a week after a U.S. Navy destroy sailed within 12 nautical miles of an island claimed by China in the waters, a move the Pentagon said was likewise intended to counter Chinese efforts to limit freedom of navigation, according to the Pentagon. Beijing disputes the accusation. The Philippines has been pushing for joint patrols since China began test flights late last year from one of three artificial islands where the Chinese have constructed new runways capable of supporting military operations in the region. Political ambivalence in Manila will prevent a return to the level of U.S.-Philippine military cooperation that the United States enjoyed in the past.