III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 816 

Recognizing the 73rd anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense 

Treaty between the United States and the Philippines and the strong 

bilateral security alliance between our two nations in the wake of persistent and escalating aggression by the People’s Republic of China 

in the South China Sea. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024 

Mr. RICKETTS (for himself, Mr. COONS, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mr. KAINE, 

Mr. CRUZ, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. WICKER, Mr. SCHATZ, and Mr. ROMNEY) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 73rd anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the 

Philippines and the strong bilateral security alliance between our two nations in the wake of persistent and 

escalating aggression by the People’s Republic of China 

in the South China Sea. 

Whereas the United States and the Philippines have maintained diplomatic relations for 78 years, founded on the 

basis of deeply interconnected strategic and economic interests and close bonds between our two populations; 

Whereas the United States-Philippines partnership was 

forged in blood, as more than 20,000 Americans and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•SRES 816 IS 

hundreds of thousands of Filipinos were killed during the 

Philippines campaigns during World War II; 

Whereas, following the Japanese invasion and occupation of 

the Philippines from 1941 to 1945, the former United 

States commonwealth secured its official independence on 

July 4, 1946; 

Whereas, in March 1947, the United States and the Philippines signed a Military Bases Agreement; 

Whereas, on August 30, 1951, the United States and the 

Philippines signed a Mutual Defense Treaty; 

Whereas the Mutual Defense Treaty makes clear the United 

States-Philippine collective intent to resolve international 

disputes peacefully, undertake separate and joint development of the capacity to resist attack, and consult with 

one another when the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of the United States or the Philippines is under threat of external armed attack in the 

Pacific; 

Whereas the Mutual Defense Treaty is the foundation of our 

security alliance and all other enabling defense agreements between the United States and the Philippines, including the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement; 

Whereas the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement allows for a strengthened United States military presence 

in the Philippines to increase bilateral cooperation and 

interoperability and to provide training to the Armed 

Forces of the Philippines, with increased rotation of 

United States military personnel and assistance devoted 

to strengthening the territorial defense and humanitarian 

and maritime operations of the Philippines; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•SRES 816 IS 

Whereas, in February 2023, the United States and the Philippines committed to designating four additional locations 

under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, increasing the total from five to nine; 

Whereas those locations have strategic value for the United 

States and the Philippines, increase confidence in the alliance, and provide real opportunities for operational cooperation to advance shared security priorities; 

Whereas the Mutual Defense Treaty serves as a deterrent 

against the increasing territorial aggression by the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea; 

Whereas, in 2009, the People’s Republic of China began unlawfully extending its territorial and sovereignty claims in 

the South China Sea under its ‘‘nine-dash line’’ construct, violating the territorial rights and internationally 

recognized exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, 

Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam; 

Whereas, since 2014, the People’s Republic of China has substantially expanded its ability to monitor and project 

power throughout the South China Sea via the construction of militarized artificial islands; 

Whereas, on September 25, 2015, at the White House, President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping stated 

that ‘‘China does not intend to pursue militarization’’ of 

the Spratly Islands and China’s outposts would not ‘‘target or impact any country’’; 

Whereas, on July 12, 2016, the arbitral tribunal constituted 

under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on 

the Law of the Sea unanimously decided to invalidate the 

People’s Republic of China’s claim to nearly 90 percent 

of the South China Sea, including areas determined by 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•SRES 816 IS 

the tribunal to be part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf; 

Whereas, despite the decision being final and legally binding, 

the People’s Republic of China, which refused to participate in the arbitration, has continued to reject and further violate the decision; 

Whereas the People’s Republic of China has employed a variety of assertive and aggressive tactics against the Philippines, including through its coast guard, research vessels, and commercial maritime vessels, to coerce and enforce its arbitrary and unlawful territorial claims in the 

South China Sea, such as by ramming, shadowing, blocking, encircling, firing water cannons at, and using military-grade lasers against Philippine civilian ships and 

military vessels; 

Whereas the People’s Republic of China has repeatedly denied the Philippines from lawfully delivering humanitarian supplies to members of the Armed Forces of the 

Philippines stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre at Second 

Thomas Shoal; 

Whereas, on June 17, 2024, coast guard sailors from the 

People’s Republic of China brandished knives and other 

weapons in a clash with Philippine naval vessels attempting to resupply marines on Second Thomas Shoal, resulting in a severe injury to a member of the Armed Forces 

of the Philippines; 

Whereas, on August 8, 2024, the People’s Republic of China 

dangerously and provocatively dropped flares in the path 

of a Philippine Air Force aircraft conducting a routine 

patrol over the Scarborough Shoal; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•SRES 816 IS 

Whereas, on August 19, 2024, People’s Republic of China 

Coast Guard vessels performed aggressive maneuvers in 

the South China Sea, recklessly colliding with and damaging two Philippine Coast Guard vessels near the 

Sabina Shoal; 

Whereas, on August 27, 2024, the Commander of the United 

States Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, 

said the United States military is open to consultations 

with the Philippines about escorting Philippine ships delivering food and other supplies to the Armed Forces of 

the Philippines in the South China Sea; 

Whereas, on August 31, 2024, a People’s Republic of China 

Coast Guard ship rammed a Philippine Coast Guard 

ship, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, three times without 

any provocation, causing damage to the Philippine ship 

near the Sabina Shoal; and 

Whereas August 30, 2024, marked the 73rd anniversary of 

the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the 

United States and the Philippines: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) celebrates the 73rd anniversary of the sign3 ing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the 

4 United States and the Philippines and the long5 standing alliance between our two nations; 

6 (2) appreciates the trust of the Philippine peo7 ple in the bilateral alliance and their support for in8 creased defense cooperation and United States mili9 tary presence in the Philippines; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•SRES 816 IS 

1 (3) acknowledges the determination of the Phil2 ippine people and the Armed Forces of the Phil3 ippines to resist coercion by the People’s Republic of 

4 China; 

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

6 persistent and unprovoked aggression in the South 

7 China Sea to enforce its unlawful territorial and sov8 ereignty claims; 

9 (5) reaffirms that Article IV of the Mutual De10 fense Treaty extends to armed attacks on the Armed 

11 Forces, public vessels, or aircraft of the Philippines, 

12 including the Philippine Coast Guard, anywhere in 

13 the South China Sea; 

14 (6) considers aggression by the People’s Repub15 lic of China in the Philippines’ internationally recog16 nized exclusive economic zone to be a direct assault 

17 on its sovereignty and territorial integrity; 

18 (7) urges the President to take appropriate and 

19 necessary actions in response to escalatory behavior 

20 of the People’s Republic of China in order to restore 

21 deterrence and help the Philippines defend itself; 

22 (8) supports the unwavering commitment of the 

23 United States to deepening security cooperation with 

24 the Philippines, including advancing Philippine de25 fense modernization and enhancing interoperability 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•SRES 816 IS 

1 through military exercises, training, joint patrols, 

2 and increased information sharing; 

3 (9) supports other nations growing their polit4 ical and security partnerships with the Philippines; 

5 (10) commits to advance cooperation among the 

6 United States, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, 

7 and Australia; and 

8 (11) reaffirms the commitment of the United 

9 States to the right to freedom of navigation and 

10 overflight, respecting maritime rights under inter11 national law, and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pa12 cific. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB