August 27, 2024 10:50 AM

Philippines urges ‘broader interpretation’ of defence pact with U.S.

The Philippines' defence treaty with the United States must be interpreted more broadly to tackle a "dynamic and cunning adversary", its defence chief said on Tuesday, after recent encounters between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea. Manila and Washington are bound by the 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT), which can be invoked in case of armed attacks on Philippine forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea. While the United States has reassured its oldest Asian ally th...