The Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America held the Eighth Bilateral Strategic Dialogue from 15 to 16 July 2019 in Manila, Philippines. Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo and Department of National Defense Undersecretary Cesar Yano co-led the Philippine delegation. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randy Schriver co-led the U.S. delegation.
A military exercise between the Philippines and the United States that focuses on mutual defense, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief will take place in the country this month.
Fighter and bomber planes launched from reefs that China reportedly equipped with missile systems and military facilities have within their range not just the entire Philippines but nearby countries as well.
At the start of 2019, it looked like the US–Philippines alliance was heading for crisis. Delfin Lorenzana, the normally pro-American Philippine Secretary of National Defense, began calling for a review of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and its application in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. The danger hasn’t completely passed, but it increasingly looks as if the alliance will come out even stronger than before.
A foreign armed attack on Philippine security forces will trigger the United States’ obligations under the Mutual Defense Treaty, US Ambassador to Manila Sung Kim said on Wednesday.
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