US President Biden says any attack on Philippines' vessels in the South China Sea would invoke their mutual defence treaty.
The background to this is China's claim to large swathes of the South China Sea, a claim ruled as having no basis under international law by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in 2016. China has thus been attacking Philippines' vessels sailing according to international agreements.
The Philippines and US have had a Mutual Defense Treaty since 195. In a nutshell it requires both nations to support each other if another party attacks the Philippines or the US.
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Chinese attacks have added another geopolitical flashpoint.
The main players in the Russia, China, Iran, North Korea axis.
