Beijing, April 26 -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that he discussed China's "dangerous actions" in the South China Sea, including against routine Philippine maintenance operations, and maritime operations near the Second Thomas Shoal, adding that US defence commitments to the Philippines remain "ironclad."

Speaking to reporters in Beijing, he said, "In today's meetings, I discussed the PRC's dangerous actions in the South China Sea, including against routine Philippine maintenance operations, maritime operations near the Second Thomas Shoal."

"Freedom of navigation and commerce in these waterways is not only critical to the Philippines, but to the US and to every other nation in the Indo-Pacific and indeed around the wo...