(UPDATE) ECHOING President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s stance that the Philippines will not cede "even one square inch of territory," the United States government on Wednesday renewed its call on China to recognize the international rulings regarding the longstanding dispute in the South China Sea.
"We appreciate the leadership the Philippines shows by championing freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. And we call upon the PRC (People's Republic of China) to fulfill its treaty obligation under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention to comply with the legally binding decision of the Arbitral Tribunal in 2016, which delivered a unanimous and binding decision firmly rejecting the PRC's expansive and unlawful maritime claims," United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said during the Mangrove Forum held at the US Embassy in Manila.
