U.S., Philippines Boost Military Pact With More Drills Planned

Philippine and U.S. soldiers take part in a military exercise in 2018.Photographer: Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images
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The U.S. and the Philippines have agreed to enhance defense cooperation, increasing joint security activities next year amid tension in the South China Sea.

“Today, we addressed regional security challenges together as friends, allies, and partners,” Admiral Philip Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said after their mutual defense board meeting in Manila. “Our national security, including economic security, is reliant on a free and open Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order.”