March 29, 2025 (EIRNS)—The United States will enhance its military alliance with the Philippines as it aims to “reestablish deterrence” to counter “China’s aggression” in the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on March 28 during a trip to Manila. He referred to the U.S.-Philippines “ironclad alliance, particularly in the face of Communist China’s aggression in the region,” Hegseth said during a joint press conference with Philippines National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.
The U.S. will deploy additional advanced military capabilities for joint training, enhance interoperability for “high end operations” and prioritize defense industrial cooperation, Hegseth told reporters. The Trump administration, Hegseth pledged, would “truly prioritize a shift” to the Indo-Pacific with the “recognition that for the 21st century to be a free century, America needs to stand alongside our allies and partners shoulder to shoulder.” “Shoulder to shoulder,” or Balikatan, is the name of the annual U.S.-Philippine military exercises.
“Together, we’ll encourage our other partners and allies in the region to step up their efforts and their cooperation to increase defense capabilities and strengthen deterrence,” Hegseth said of the U.S.-Philippine partnership.
