The US will strengthen defence co-operation with the Philippines “amid aggression from China,” US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday during a joint press conference with Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro in Manila.
“We have agreed that the US will deploy additional modern capabilities to the Philippines, which includes the Nemesis anti-ship missile system and high-performance unmanned ground vehicles. These systems will allow the US and Philippine militaries to train together on the use of technology to defend Philippine sovereignty,” the Pentagon chief said.
According to Hegseth, Washington and Manila have agreed to hold bilateral exercises of special forces on the island of Batasan, located between the Philippines and Taiwan.
The Pentagon chief also specified that during his meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. they discussed the development of the defence industry, namely drone production and logistics support. The two sides also agreed to launch a bilateral cybersecurity campaign.
“I can assure you that this is just the beginning of what will be an incredibly fruitful alliance. …It reflects the strength of our (US-Philippines) alliance, especially in the face of aggression in the region by Communist China. Our partnership demonstrates a commitment to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth emphasised.
Earlier in late January, Teodoro and US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, during a meeting at the White House, reiterated their willingness to develop bilateral defence relations under the new Donald Trump administration.
