Philippines Boosts Defense Ties to Counter China on Sea Disputes
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The Philippines is boosting military ties with the U.S. and Japan as it seeks to counter China’s increased presence in disputed waters in the fish and gas-rich South China Sea.
President Benigno Aquino’s government is crafting an agreement with the U.S. giving its military access to Subic Bay, Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said at a briefing in Manila today. Gazmin and Itsunori Onodera, his Japanese counterpart, also agreed at a meeting today to boost defense cooperation, Japan’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement.