Pompeo, Locsin discuss sea row

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo —AFP

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, called newly appointed Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on the phone on Friday (Manila time) and discussed the tension in the South China Sea, among other issues.

Pompeo spoke with Locsin, erstwhile Philippine permanent representative to the United Nations, to congratulate him on his appointment.

“The secretary reaffirmed the longstanding United States-Philippines alliance and recognized the Philippines’ important role in the Indo-Pacific region,” US state department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press release.

Nauert said the two officials discussed issues facing the Asia Pacific region, including maritime disputes in the South China Sea, as well as the persistent nuclear threat from North Korea.

Regional issues

“Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Locsin discussed ongoing efforts to address regional issues such as North Korea, the South China Sea, and counterterrorism,” Nauert said.

The Philippines is one of the United States’ main strategic allies in the region, but that relationship has been strained since President Duterte assumed office in 2016.

Cooperation with China

The firebrand Philippine leader has been pursuing stronger economic and military cooperation with China while blasting US policies with fiery rhetoric.

He has also been reluctant to assert the Philippines’ maritime claims in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), including a 2016 victory in the UN arbitral court, as China continues its military buildup in the disputed waters.

The WPS is the area in the South China Sea that is within the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.