NEW: US @SecDef Lloyd Austin leaves #Manila w/agreement on expanded access for US troops to #Philippines military sites AND talk from Philippine officials of a shared vision re #China & the #IndoPacific
https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1620987875377528833
“It seems to me the future of the #Philippines, & for that matter the Asia Pacific, will always have to involve the #UnitedStates simply bcs those partnerships are so strong and they’re so historically embedded in our common psyches" per Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
.@SecDef visit to #Philippines “is symbolic to all of us that the US will always be there for us" per Philippine
acting Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr.
acting Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr.
Per Galvez, the Philippines shares the US vision for a “stable, rule-based, open & inclusive Indo-Pacific region"
“This approach which we hope to jointly undertake [w/US] is in line with the guidance of President Ferdinand Marcos for the defense department to make sure that not an inch of our nation’s territory will be lost" per #Philippines' Galvez
“This relationship is strong & we will continue to work hard to strengthen it further," per @SecDef, who also called the US-Philippines relationship "ironclad"
New agreement on access to #Philippine military sites "an opportunity to increase our effectiveness, increase interoperability" per @SecDef
"It is not about permanent basing, but it is a big deal. It's a really big deal"
"It is not about permanent basing, but it is a big deal. It's a really big deal"
As for #China, “We discussed concrete actions" per @SecDef
“These efforts are especially important as People's Republic of China continues to advance its illegitimate claims in the West Philippine [South China] Sea”
“These efforts are especially important as People's Republic of China continues to advance its illegitimate claims in the West Philippine [South China] Sea”
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