[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 816 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 816

 Recognizing the 73rd anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense 
  Treaty between the United States and the Philippines and the strong 
  bilateral security alliance between our two nations in the wake of 
persistent and escalating aggression by the People's Republic of China 
                        in the South China Sea.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 12, 2024

Mr. Ricketts (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Kaine, 
    Mr. Cruz, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Schatz, and Mr. Romney) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the 73rd anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense 
  Treaty between the United States and the Philippines and the strong 
  bilateral security alliance between our two nations in the wake of 
persistent and escalating aggression by the People's Republic of China 
                        in the South China Sea.

Whereas the United States and the Philippines have maintained diplomatic 
        relations for 78 years, founded on the basis of deeply interconnected 
        strategic and economic interests and close bonds between our two 
        populations;
Whereas the United States-Philippines partnership was forged in blood, as more 
        than 20,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Filipinos were killed 
        during the Philippines campaigns during World War II;
Whereas, following the Japanese invasion and occupation of the Philippines from 
        1941 to 1945, the former United States commonwealth secured its official 
        independence on July 4, 1946;
Whereas, in March 1947, the United States and the Philippines signed a Military 
        Bases Agreement;
Whereas, on August 30, 1951, the United States and the Philippines signed a 
        Mutual Defense Treaty;
Whereas the Mutual Defense Treaty makes clear the United States-Philippine 
        collective intent to resolve international disputes peacefully, 
        undertake separate and joint development of the capacity to resist 
        attack, and consult with one another when the territorial integrity, 
        political independence, or security of the United States or the 
        Philippines is under threat of external armed attack in the Pacific;
Whereas the Mutual Defense Treaty is the foundation of our security alliance and 
        all other enabling defense agreements between the United States and the 
        Philippines, including the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement;
Whereas the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement allows for a strengthened 
        United States military presence in the Philippines to increase bilateral 
        cooperation and interoperability and to provide training to the Armed 
        Forces of the Philippines, with increased rotation of United States 
        military personnel and assistance devoted to strengthening the 
        territorial defense and humanitarian and maritime operations of the 
        Philippines;
Whereas, in February 2023, the United States and the Philippines committed to 
        designating four additional locations under the Enhanced Defense 
        Cooperation Agreement, increasing the total from five to nine;
Whereas those locations have strategic value for the United States and the 
        Philippines, increase confidence in the alliance, and provide real 
        opportunities for operational cooperation to advance shared security 
        priorities;
Whereas the Mutual Defense Treaty serves as a deterrent against the increasing 
        territorial aggression by the People's Republic of China in the South 
        China Sea;
Whereas, in 2009, the People's Republic of China began unlawfully extending its 
        territorial and sovereignty claims in the South China Sea under its 
        ``nine-dash line'' construct, violating the territorial rights and 
        internationally recognized exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, 
        Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam;
Whereas, since 2014, the People's Republic of China has substantially expanded 
        its ability to monitor and project power throughout the South China Sea 
        via the construction of militarized artificial islands;
Whereas, on September 25, 2015, at the White House, President of the People's 
        Republic of China Xi Jinping stated that ``China does not intend to 
        pursue militarization'' of the Spratly Islands and China's outposts 
        would not ``target or impact any country'';
Whereas, on July 12, 2016, the arbitral tribunal constituted under Annex VII to 
        the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea unanimously decided 
        to invalidate the People's Republic of China's claim to nearly 90 
        percent of the South China Sea, including areas determined by the 
        tribunal to be part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and 
        continental shelf;
Whereas, despite the decision being final and legally binding, the People's 
        Republic of China, which refused to participate in the arbitration, has 
        continued to reject and further violate the decision;
Whereas the People's Republic of China has employed a variety of assertive and 
        aggressive tactics against the Philippines, including through its coast 
        guard, research vessels, and commercial maritime vessels, to coerce and 
        enforce its arbitrary and unlawful territorial claims in the South China 
        Sea, such as by ramming, shadowing, blocking, encircling, firing water 
        cannons at, and using military-grade lasers against Philippine civilian 
        ships and military vessels;
Whereas the People's Republic of China has repeatedly denied the Philippines 
        from lawfully delivering humanitarian supplies to members of the Armed 
        Forces of the Philippines stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre at Second 
        Thomas Shoal;
Whereas, on June 17, 2024, coast guard sailors from the People's Republic of 
        China brandished knives and other weapons in a clash with Philippine 
        naval vessels attempting to resupply marines on Second Thomas Shoal, 
        resulting in a severe injury to a member of the Armed Forces of the 
        Philippines;
Whereas, on August 8, 2024, the People's Republic of China dangerously and 
        provocatively dropped flares in the path of a Philippine Air Force 
        aircraft conducting a routine patrol over the Scarborough Shoal;
Whereas, on August 19, 2024, People's Republic of China Coast Guard vessels 
        performed aggressive maneuvers in the South China Sea, recklessly 
        colliding with and damaging two Philippine Coast Guard vessels near the 
        Sabina Shoal;
Whereas, on August 27, 2024, the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific 
        Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, said the United States military is open 
        to consultations with the Philippines about escorting Philippine ships 
        delivering food and other supplies to the Armed Forces of the 
        Philippines in the South China Sea;
Whereas, on August 31, 2024, a People's Republic of China Coast Guard ship 
        rammed a Philippine Coast Guard ship, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, three 
        times without any provocation, causing damage to the Philippine ship 
        near the Sabina Shoal; and
Whereas August 30, 2024, marked the 73rd anniversary of the signing of the 
        Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Philippines: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) celebrates the 73rd anniversary of the signing of the 
        Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the 
        Philippines and the longstanding alliance between our two 
        nations;
            (2) appreciates the trust of the Philippine people in the 
        bilateral alliance and their support for increased defense 
        cooperation and United States military presence in the 
        Philippines;
            (3) acknowledges the determination of the Philippine people 
        and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to resist coercion by 
        the People's Republic of China;
            (4) condemns the People's Republic of China's persistent 
        and unprovoked aggression in the South China Sea to enforce its 
        unlawful territorial and sovereignty claims;
            (5) reaffirms that Article IV of the Mutual Defense Treaty 
        extends to armed attacks on the Armed Forces, public vessels, 
        or aircraft of the Philippines, including the Philippine Coast 
        Guard, anywhere in the South China Sea;
            (6) considers aggression by the People's Republic of China 
        in the Philippines' internationally recognized exclusive 
        economic zone to be a direct assault on its sovereignty and 
        territorial integrity;
            (7) urges the President to take appropriate and necessary 
        actions in response to escalatory behavior of the People's 
        Republic of China in order to restore deterrence and help the 
        Philippines defend itself;
            (8) supports the unwavering commitment of the United States 
        to deepening security cooperation with the Philippines, 
        including advancing Philippine defense modernization and 
        enhancing interoperability through military exercises, 
        training, joint patrols, and increased information sharing;
            (9) supports other nations growing their political and 
        security partnerships with the Philippines;
            (10) commits to advance cooperation among the United 
        States, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, and Australia; and
            (11) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the 
        right to freedom of navigation and overflight, respecting 
        maritime rights under international law, and ensuring a free 
        and open Indo-Pacific.
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