The US Department of Defense officially expressed support for the Philippines in light of the deteriorating situation regarding the disputed Nansha (Spratly) Islands in the South China Sea and the condemnation of China's actions.
The statement emphasized that Washington and its Philippine allies condemn China's attempts to obstruct a legitimate operation on the Thomas Second Bank.< /p >
On Twitter, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder noted: “We stand with the Philippines in our condemnation of attempts by the People's Republic of China to disrupt legitimate operations in the Spratly Islands.”< /p>
Ryder also emphasized that the United States maintains a strong alliance with the Philippines and described her as “constantly strong”.