Philippines, United States sign military intelligence-sharing deal

Manila, Philippines — 

The Philippines and the United States signed connected Monday a subject intelligence-sharing woody successful a further deepening of defence ties betwixt the 2 nations facing communal information challenges successful the region.

Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the statement with his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, astatine Manila's subject office wherever some officials besides broke crushed for a combined coordination halfway that volition facilitate collaboration betwixt their equipped forces.

Called the General Security of Military Information Agreement oregon GSOMIA, the pact allows some countries to stock classified subject accusation securely.

"Not lone volition this let the Philippines entree to higher capabilities and big-ticket items from the United States, it volition besides unfastened opportunities to prosecute akin agreements with like-minded nations," said Philippines' defence ministry spokesperson Arsenio Andolong.

Security engagements betwixt the United States and the Philippines person deepened nether President Joe Biden and his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with some leaders keen to antagonistic what they spot arsenic China's assertive policies successful the South China Sea and adjacent Taiwan.

The 2 countries person a mutual defence treaty dating backmost to 1951, which could beryllium invoked if either broadside came nether attack, including successful the South China Sea.

"I privation to commencement by underscoring our ironclad committedness to the Philippines," Austin said during the groundbreaking ceremonial for the coordination center.

Austin said the coordination halfway should alteration real-time accusation sharing betwixt the 2 defence pact allies and boost interoperability.

‘’It volition beryllium a spot wherever our forces tin enactment broadside by broadside to respond to determination challenges," Austin said.

The Philippines has expressed confidence the confederation volition stay beardown nether incoming U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

Both the Philippines and the United States look progressively assertive actions from China successful the South China Sea, a conduit for much than $3 trillion successful yearly ship-borne commerce, which it claims astir wholly arsenic its own.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration successful the Hague said China's claims had nary ineligible basis, siding with the Philippines, which brought the case.

But China has rejected the ruling, starring to a bid of oversea and aerial confrontations with the Philippines that person turned the highly strategical South China Sea into a imaginable flashpoint betwixt Washington and Beijing.

"The United States' beingness successful the Indo Pacific portion is indispensable for maintaining bid and stableness successful this region," Teodoro said during the inauguration, echoing erstwhile remarks made by Marcos.