Western Governments Rally Behind Philippines After Latest Confrontation With China While ASEAN States Lay Low

Image via @USAmbPH

A familiar pattern is beginning to set in after the increasingly frequent confrontations at sea between China and the Philippines: Japan and a group of Western governments, led by the U.S., immediately condemn China for its “dangerous manoeuvers,” while governments in Southeast Asia remain noticeably quiet.

Within just a few hours, ambassadors from Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, the UK, and the European Union all posted messages on X to express their “concern about the incident in the South China Sea.”

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by Eric Olander

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