Philippine navy Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci speaks with Rear Adm. Joaquin J. Martinez de Pinillos, vice commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, during a reception aboard the USS Blue Ridge, June 20, 2024. (Belen Saldana/U.S. Navy)
The USS Blue Ridge, the 7th Fleet flagship, steamed into Manila this month for a port call, its first since 2019, the day after Chinese and Philippine sailors clashed at a disputed reef in the South China Sea.
The amphibious command ship, homeported at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, arrived June 18, said 7th Fleet spokeswoman Petty Officer 2nd Class Toi Williams in a news release Thursday. The Blue Ridge departed Manila on Saturday, fleet spokeswoman Lt. Jamie Moroney told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday.
The stop included meetings between Vice Adm. Fred Kacher, head of 7th Fleet, with U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, Philippine fleet commander Rear Adm. Renato David and Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura, vice chief of staff for the Philippines’ armed forces.
“We could not be more honored to make our first port visit of our summer patrol to Manila with the USS Blue Ridge and our Seventh Fleet Team. Our enduring partnership with the people of the Philippines is deeper and stronger than it has ever been,” Kacher said, according to the release.
Philippines armed forces and 7th Fleet staff also met aboard the Blue Ridge for talks June 20 and 21, according to a separate Thursday news release from 7th Fleet.
The meeting included discussions on further cooperation between the two navies, improving communication and maritime security in the region. Participants also discussed the modernization of the Philippines’ military, Moroney said.
“It is through forums such as staff talks that we align our efforts with our Philippine Fleet counterparts,” Lt. Cmdr. Joseph McGinnis, a 7th Fleet theater security cooperation officer, in the news release. “These opportunities strengthen the enduring partnership between our two maritime forces.”
The Blue Ridge arrived a day after Philippine navy and Chinese coast guard crews clashed again over possession of Second Thomas Shoal, a shallow reef in the Spratly Islands.
The Philippines garrison a small detachment of troops there on the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded World War II-era hulk, to bolster its territorial claim.
During the June 17 confrontation, Chinese coast guard crew members wielding knives and machetes damaged a Philippine navy inflatable boat, injured a crew member and seized weapons.
Afterward, Carlson denounced China’s role in the altercation and Secretary of State Antony Blinken phoned his Philippine counterpart to reassure him of the U.S. commitment to defend the Philippines under their mutual defense treaty.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday sought to reduce tensions with a call for dialogue with China. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Monday the U.S. should remain resolute in its support for the Philippines.
Beijing has repeatedly demanded the Sierra Madre’s removal, and routinely uses its coast guard to block Philippine supply ships. Chinese vessels have used aggressive tactics against the ships, including using water cannons, ramming, boarding and seizing supplies and weaponry from Philippine sailors.
