Australia has reaffirmed its support for the Philippines in the South China Sea, saying any disruptions to key international waterways would have global consequences.
Speaking in Manila on July 23, Foreign Minister Penny Wong criticised Beijing’s “destabilising and dangerous conduct,” pointing to China’s recent missile test in the South Pacific and a confrontation on July 20 between the Philippine Coast Guard and China Coast Guard.
“We must be clear and assert what we need to hold onto in the rules-based order,” she said at a foreign policy address.
“The Strait of Hormuz and this conflict shows us what we in the region have always understood—that people suffer when a strait is weaponised.”…
Australia Doubles Maritime Aid to Philippines, Warns Against CCP’s South China Sea Actions
