In a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the US and the Philippines “should stand shoulder to shoulder” with China.
Hegseth made his first stop on a tour of Asia Pacific allies on Friday, making his first appearance in Manila after being investigated domestically for his role in the unintentional leak of US secrets to a journalist.
Hegseth and Marcos met at the Malacanan Palace in Manila, and they both declared, “Peace through strength is a very real thing.”
In your country, in light of the threats from the communist Chinese and the need for friends to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to prevent conflict, to ensure that there is free navigation, deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region.
We are aware that your country must stand very firm in that area and defend your nation, Hegseth continued. Whether it is the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea,
Hegseth’s visit, according to Marcos, “sent a very clear message” about the allies’ commitment to strengthen their alliance.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is attempting to unite allies in the region to counteract China’s growing influence and power with its first trip to Asia.
In addition, the visit comes as China and the Philippines evaluate their territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The largest fiction and lie, according to Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Monday, referred to Beijing’s claim to more than 90% of the waterway as “the biggest.”
The Philippine coastguard reported the most recent incident in a row with Chinese vessels in the Scarborough Shoal on the same day that Teodoro made his remarks.
Hegseth will travel to Japan, another important US treaty ally, after wrapping up his weekend trip to the Philippines.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply