Die USA müssen eine glaubwürdige Abschreckung im West Philippine Sea festlegen

At *The Hill*, [Joseph Felter](https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5215162-us-philippines-deterrence-china/) argues that off the coast of a key American ally in the Indo-Pacific, “A perfect storm is brewing that threatens to place the U.S. in a lose-lose position of either risking escalation to conflict or undermining its credibility as a reliable alliance partner — or both. Avoiding either costly outcome requires fast-tracking the establishment of credible deterrence.” To do this, Felter counsels continued “robust military and security assistance” to the Armed Forces and Coast Guard of the Philippines, as well as the formal invocation of “the [Mutual Defense Treaty](https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/phil001.asp), specifically its [Article III](https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/phil001.asp) and potentially [Article IV](https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/phil001.asp), in response to future Chinese aggression.” Additionally, the “U.S. can and should demonstrate that it will act when its treaty ally is viciously threatened or attacked.”