America and the Philippines have made speedy strides in upgrading their alliance, and are charging forward to do extra, protection leaders from each international locations mentioned on the Pentagon at present.
Secretary of Protection Lloyd J. Austin III met with Carlito Galvez Jr., senior undersecretary and officer answerable for the Division of Nationwide Protection of the Philippines, to deepen military-to-military contacts between the 2 nations.
The assembly got here because the Balikatan train kicked off within the Philippines. It’s the largest joint train in years.
The Pentagon assembly follows the so-called two-plus-two conferences on the State Division yesterday that included overseas coverage leaders as nicely.
“That is an historic second for our alliances as we take crucial steps collectively to deepen our ties and strengthen peace and stability within the area,” Austin mentioned. “We share our imaginative and prescient for a free and open Indo-Pacific — one grounded and transparency, freedom of navigation, the rule of regulation, respect for sovereignty and the peaceable decision of disputes.”
These ideas are being challenged in lots of locations across the globe. “We have seen a troubling enhance in coercion and harmful operational conduct, together with within the South China Sea,” the secretary mentioned.
The U.S.-Philippines alliance is deeply dedicated to those ideas which have served the area and the globe so nicely. Austin rigorously spelled out what the alliance consists of. “As we have made abundantly clear, the mutual protection treaty applies to armed assaults on both of our armed forces, or public vessels or plane anyplace within the South China Sea,” he mentioned.
The 2 nations have additionally made vital progress in bolstering the capabilities and capacities of the respective armed forces to withstand coercion and grey zone aggression.
“We’re near finalizing a safety sector help roadmap that charts a path ahead to strengthen deterrence and align our protection investments with the evolving safety surroundings,” the secretary mentioned. “And … we’re additionally increasing our cooperation beneath the Enhanced Protection Cooperation Settlement, which is able to make our armed forces extra versatile and extra resilient and helps our potential to coach and function collectively.”