MANILA: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines during his meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday.
Hegseth, who is in the Philippines as part of a trip to Asia, emphasized the strong alliance, friendship, and cooperation between the two nations.
“Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth’s Manila visit, to be followed by trips to Tokyo and World War II battleground Iwo Jima, follows months of confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the disputed South China Sea.
Beijing claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.
“Friends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter conflict to ensure that there’s free navigation, whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea,” Hegseth said.
“Peace through strength is a very real thing,” he added.
The trip is aimed at bolstering ties in the Asia-Pacific region as tensions are rising with Beijing.
Hegseth is expected to meet his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro later Friday.
In response to China’s growing influence, the US has been strengthening alliances with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines.
Manila and Washington have deepened their defense cooperation since Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on Beijing’s sweeping South China Sea claims.
In recent years, top US officials have warned that an “armed attack” against the Philippines in the waterway would invoke the two countries’ mutual defense treaty.
The two countries have expanded the sharing of military intelligence and boosted to nine the number of bases US troops have access to on the archipelago.
Given the Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan and its surrounding waters, Manila’s cooperation would be crucial in the event of a conflict with China.
Hegseth’s visit overlaps with bilateral military exercises that will expand next month to include the countries’ navies and air forces.
