[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 843 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 843

 Reaffirming the United States-Philippines alliance and condemning the 
gray zone campaign of the People's Republic of China in the South China 
          Sea against the Philippines, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 3, 2023

 Mr. Issa (for himself, Mr. Bera, Mr. Waltz, and Mr. Vargas) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                            Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Reaffirming the United States-Philippines alliance and condemning the 
gray zone campaign of the People's Republic of China in the South China 
          Sea against the Philippines, and for other purposes.

Whereas the United States and the Philippines have a longstanding alliance, 
        characterized by a robust and multifaceted relationship between the 2 
        societies, including shared values, familial and generational ties, 
        mutual defense commitments, and shared economic interests that have 
        enriched the lives of the people of both the United States and the 
        Philippines;
Whereas, in 1946, the Philippines became an independent republic and established 
        diplomatic relations with the United States;
Whereas, in 1951, the United States and the Philippines signed a Mutual Defense 
        Treaty, pledging mutual support in case of an armed attack;
Whereas, during World War II, the United States and the Philippines fought side-
        by-side in the defense of a free and open Indo-Pacific;
Whereas, during World War II, Philippine resistance units made tremendous 
        sacrifices and were critical to victory in the Pacific and the 
        liberation of the Philippines;
Whereas the Philippines and the Republic of China participated in the Allied war 
        effort, which resulted in victory including the successful liberation of 
        China;
Whereas the People's Republic of China (PRC) now seeks to unlawfully extend its 
        territorial and sovereignty claims, including against the Philippines;
Whereas, under its ``nine-dash line'' construct, the PRC makes erroneous claims 
        to territorial rights in the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, 
        Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam;
Whereas, in 2013, the Philippines pursued arbitration under the United Nations 
        Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) against the PRC;
Whereas, in 2016, the tribunal constituted under UNCLOS to hear the matter ruled 
        in favor of the Philippines, finding that the nine-dash line has no 
        standing under international law when it stated: ``On the merits, the 
        Tribunal concluded that the Convention comprehensively allocates rights 
        to maritime areas and that protections for pre-existing rights to 
        resources were considered, but not adopted in the Convention. 
        Accordingly, the Tribunal concluded that, to the extent China had 
        historic rights to resources in the waters of the South China Sea, such 
        rights were extinguished to the extent they were incompatible with the 
        exclusive economic zones provided for in the Convention.'';
Whereas, despite being a signatory to UNCLOS, the PRC refused to participate in 
        the arbitration and rejected its results;
Whereas Article 4 of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the 
        Philippines done in duplicate at Washington on August 30, 1951, states 
        that ``Each Party recognizes that an armed attack in the Pacific Area on 
        either of the Parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and 
        declares that it would act to meet the common dangers in accordance with 
        its constitutional processes.'';
Whereas, on July 13, 2020, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a 
        statement clarifying United States policy by stating, in part: 
        ``Beijing's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China 
        Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control 
        them . . . Beijing has offered no coherent legal basis for its `Nine-
        Dashed Line' claim in the South China Sea since formally announcing it 
        in 2009.'';
Whereas, on March 1, 2019, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that ``As 
        the South China Sea is part of the Pacific, any armed attack on 
        Philippine forces, aircraft or public vessels in the South China Sea 
        will trigger mutual defense obligations under Article 4 of our mutual 
        defense treaty.'';
Whereas, on April 11, 2023, at a joint press conference with the United States 
        Secretary of Defense, the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and 
        the Philippine Senior Undersecretary and Officer in Charge of the 
        Department of National Defense, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken 
        reaffirmed ``the United States' unwavering commitment to standing with 
        the Philippines against any intimidation or coercion, including in the 
        South China Sea, and to preserving a region that's governed by 
        international law where goods and ideas and people can move freely.'';
Whereas the PRC has employed a variety of gray zone tactics to enforce its 
        erroneous territorial claims in the South China Sea;
Whereas, on February 13, 2023, a PRC vessel used a laser against a Philippine 
        vessel, temporarily blinding some of its crew;
Whereas, in August 2023, a China Coast Guard vessel used a water cannon to 
        prevent Philippine vessels from resupplying Philippine forces on Second 
        Thomas Shoal;
Whereas, on October 22, 2023, a China Coast Guard vessel and an associated 
        vessel rammed 2 Philippine resupply and Coast Guard ships near Second 
        Thomas Shoal; and
Whereas, on October 25, 2023, during a joint press conference with the Prime 
        Minister of Australia, President Joseph R. Biden reiterated that ``the 
        United States' defense commitment to the Philippines is ironclad'' and 
        that ``any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces 
        will invoke our Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines.'': Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) celebrates the longstanding alliance and mutually 
        beneficial partnership between the United States and the 
        Philippines;
            (2) reaffirms its unwavering support for the Philippines in 
        the face of unprovoked aggression;
            (3) affirms that the Mutual Defense Treaty applies to armed 
        attacks on Philippine Armed Forces, public vessels, or aircraft 
        in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea;
            (4) calls on the People's Republic of China to stop 
        advancing its unlawful maritime territorial and sovereignty 
        claims in the South China Sea;
            (5) condemns the People's Republic of China's use of gray 
        zone tactics in the South China Sea to enforce its unlawful 
        territorial and sovereignty claims;
            (6) condemns the People's Republic of China's use of 
        lasing, water cannons, and ramming against Philippine vessels, 
        particularly the incidents in 2023; and
            (7) calls for an end to aggressive behavior by People's 
        Republic of China vessels, including its Coast Guard and 
        maritime militia vessels, in areas where the 2016 United 
        Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea tribunal stated that 
        the People's Republic of China does not have sovereign rights.
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