US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro met with senior defense officials of the Philippines to discuss defense relations, especially amid the continuous assertiveness of China in the West Philippine Sea.
During the meeting held on Tuesday, July 26, both the United States represented by Del Toro and officials of the Department of National Defense reaffirmed their commitment to the Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).
“During the meeting, Secretary Del Toro commended the professionalism and dedication of the Philippine Navy. He also underscored the commitment of US President Joseph Biden Jr. to a positive and productive relationship with the Philippines and that they look forward to working closely with the new administration,” the Department of National Defense (DND) statement read.
For his part, DND Undersecretary Franco Gacal echoed the statements of the President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. in relation to an independent foreign policy and reaffirmed the DND's mission to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Philippines.
Also discussed were the importance of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific as well as respecting rules and international law, the DND statement said.
“It was emphasized that both the Philippines and the US can learn from one another during education and training exchanges,” the statement added.
The training exercises include the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise where the US shared its best practices in naval research, particularly military technologies, addressing climate change, and ways on how the military can support national and economic development.
The meeting came just as the Philippines continues to assert its sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea which is repeatedly being challenged by Chinese Coast Guard.
The US and its allies have been vocal against China's assertiveness in the entire South China Sea.