The Philippines is among the nations that will get a share of the $55 million funding aimed at enhancing maritime law enforcement in the Indo-Pacific, according to the US Department of State.
In a statement, the State Department said it will allocate $55 million in new funding to boost maritime law enforcement capacity of several countries in the Indo-Pacific, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Pacific Islands, and maritime South Asian nations.
“This funding will enable these partners to counter illicit maritime activities, exercise their sovereign rights, and interdict illicit fishing and maritime trafficking operations,” it said.
The US has contributed over $1.5 billion in maritime security assistance to the Indo-Pacific since 2017.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized “the importance of collective efforts to advance a free and open South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in global trade flow annually.”
He also noted China’s “expansive and unlawful maritime claims” in the South China Sea.
The South China Sea remains one of Asia’s most volatile flashpoints, claimed wholly or partly by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Taiwan. Beijing asserts sovereignty over more than 80% of the waterway based on a 1940s map — a claim dismissed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
Mr. Rubio had co-hosted a ministerial meeting on “Reinforcing Cooperation to Achieve a Secure and Stable Maritime Domain” on Sept. 24. This was attended by his counterparts from Australia, Estonia, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Romania, and the UK, among others.
“A free, open Indo-Pacific is vital to global trade and security. Together, we’re building a coalition to safeguard these principles,” Mr. Rubio said in a separate post on X on Thursday.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., who came to office in 2022, has taken a stronger public stance against Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea. His administration has deepened ties with the US and other like-minded partners such as Australia and Japan, while expanding joint maritime activities. — Almira Louise S. Martinez
