IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 843 

Reaffirming the United States-Philippines alliance and condemning the gray 

zone campaign of the People’s Republic of China in the South China 

Sea against the Philippines, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 3, 2023 

Mr. ISSA (for himself, Mr. BERA, Mr. WALTZ, and Mr. VARGAS) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Reaffirming the United States-Philippines alliance and condemning the gray zone campaign of the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea against the Philippines, and for other purposes. 

Whereas the United States and the Philippines have a longstanding alliance, characterized by a robust and multifaceted relationship between the 2 societies, including 

shared values, familial and generational ties, mutual defense commitments, and shared economic interests that 

have enriched the lives of the people of both the United 

States and the Philippines; 

Whereas, in 1946, the Philippines became an independent republic and established diplomatic relations with the 

United States; 


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•HRES 843 IH 

Whereas, in 1951, the United States and the Philippines 

signed a Mutual Defense Treaty, pledging mutual support in case of an armed attack; 

Whereas, during World War II, the United States and the 

Philippines fought side-by-side in the defense of a free 

and open Indo-Pacific; 

Whereas, during World War II, Philippine resistance units 

made tremendous sacrifices and were critical to victory in 

the Pacific and the liberation of the Philippines; 

Whereas the Philippines and the Republic of China participated in the Allied war effort, which resulted in victory 

including the successful liberation of China; 

Whereas the People’s Republic of China (PRC) now seeks to 

unlawfully extend its territorial and sovereignty claims, 

including against the Philippines; 

Whereas, under its ‘‘nine-dash line’’ construct, the PRC 

makes erroneous claims to territorial rights in the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, 

and Vietnam; 

Whereas, in 2013, the Philippines pursued arbitration under 

the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 

(UNCLOS) against the PRC; 

Whereas, in 2016, the tribunal constituted under UNCLOS 

to hear the matter ruled in favor of the Philippines, finding that the nine-dash line has no standing under international law when it stated: ‘‘On the merits, the Tribunal 

concluded that the Convention comprehensively allocates 

rights to maritime areas and that protections for pre-existing rights to resources were considered, but not adopted in the Convention. Accordingly, the Tribunal concluded that, to the extent China had historic rights to reVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:43 Nov 03, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR843.IH HR843

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•HRES 843 IH 

sources in the waters of the South China Sea, such rights 

were extinguished to the extent they were incompatible 

with the exclusive economic zones provided for in the 

Convention.’’; 

Whereas, despite being a signatory to UNCLOS, the PRC refused to participate in the arbitration and rejected its results; 

Whereas Article 4 of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the 

United States and the Philippines done in duplicate at 

Washington on August 30, 1951, states that ‘‘Each 

Party recognizes that an armed attack in the Pacific 

Area on either of the Parties would be dangerous to its 

own peace and safety and declares that it would act to 

meet the common dangers in accordance with its constitutional processes.’’; 

Whereas, on July 13, 2020, then-Secretary of State Mike 

Pompeo issued a statement clarifying United States policy by stating, in part: ‘‘Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control 

them . . . Beijing has offered no coherent legal basis for 

its ‘Nine-Dashed Line’ claim in the South China Sea 

since formally announcing it in 2009.’’; 

Whereas, on March 1, 2019, then-Secretary of State Mike 

Pompeo stated that ‘‘As the South China Sea is part of 

the Pacific, any armed attack on Philippine forces, aircraft or public vessels in the South China Sea will trigger 

mutual defense obligations under Article 4 of our mutual 

defense treaty.’’; 

Whereas, on April 11, 2023, at a joint press conference with 

the United States Secretary of Defense, the Philippine 


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•HRES 843 IH 

Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and the Philippine Senior 

Undersecretary and Officer in Charge of the Department 

of National Defense, Secretary of State Antony J. 

Blinken reaffirmed ‘‘the United States’ unwavering commitment to standing with the Philippines against any intimidation or coercion, including in the South China Sea, 

and to preserving a region that’s governed by international law where goods and ideas and people can move 

freely.’’; 

Whereas the PRC has employed a variety of gray zone tactics 

to enforce its erroneous territorial claims in the South 

China Sea; 

Whereas, on February 13, 2023, a PRC vessel used a laser 

against a Philippine vessel, temporarily blinding some of 

its crew; 

Whereas, in August 2023, a China Coast Guard vessel used 

a water cannon to prevent Philippine vessels from resupplying Philippine forces on Second Thomas Shoal; 

Whereas, on October 22, 2023, a China Coast Guard vessel 

and an associated vessel rammed 2 Philippine resupply 

and Coast Guard ships near Second Thomas Shoal; and 

Whereas, on October 25, 2023, during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Australia, President 

Joseph R. Biden reiterated that ‘‘the United States’ defense commitment to the Philippines is ironclad’’ and 

that ‘‘any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels, or 

armed forces will invoke our Mutual Defense Treaty with 

the Philippines.’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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•HRES 843 IH 

1 (1) celebrates the longstanding alliance and mu2 tually beneficial partnership between the United 

3 States and the Philippines; 

4 (2) reaffirms its unwavering support for the 

5 Philippines in the face of unprovoked aggression; 

6 (3) affirms that the Mutual Defense Treaty ap7 plies to armed attacks on Philippine Armed Forces, 

8 public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, including in 

9 the South China Sea; 

10 (4) calls on the People’s Republic of China to 

11 stop advancing its unlawful maritime territorial and 

12 sovereignty claims in the South China Sea; 

13 (5) condemns the People’s Republic of China’s 

14 use of gray zone tactics in the South China Sea to 

15 enforce its unlawful territorial and sovereignty 

16 claims; 

17 (6) condemns the People’s Republic of China’s 

18 use of lasing, water cannons, and ramming against 

19 Philippine vessels, particularly the incidents in 2023; 

20 and 

21 (7) calls for an end to aggressive behavior by 

22 People’s Republic of China vessels, including its 

23 Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels, in areas 

24 where the 2016 United Nations Convention on the 


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•HRES 843 IH 

1 Law of the Sea tribunal stated that the People’s Re2 public of China does not have sovereign rights. 

Æ 


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