Top diplomats and defense chiefs of the Philippines and the US have held “two-plus-two” talks in Manila. Washington has enhanced its security engagement in the Southeast Asian nation, which faces Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.
This is the first time such a ministerial meeting was hosted by the Philippines.
After the talks, the US announced it will allocate 500 million dollars to help modernize the Philippine military and coast guard. It also said it will double its investment to nine shared facilities across the Philippines.
It also said it has agreed to conclude an intelligence-sharing pact, known as GSOMIA, by the end of the year.
The ministers held a press conference after the talks.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro thanked the US government “for the continued assistance in building up our capabilities, which will provide a tremendous boost in order for us to establish a credible deterrence to unlawful foreign aggression.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the relationship between the United States and the Philippines is the strongest that it’s ever been. He added these talks built on that unprecedented momentum in a number of very concrete ways.
The top US officials also met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.. Marcos said he is happy the situation in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific continues to be examined so that the two countries are agile in their response.
The talks come amid a series of skirmishes between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.
Observers see the closer ties as an effort to keep China in check.