(L-R) US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (Courtesy of DND)

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reaffirmed the robust alliance between the two countries, pledging to further enhance their defense cooperation amid an “imminent threat” from China.

The two defense ministers held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday, May 30, where they underscored their shared commitment to promoting regional peace, resilience, and a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.

“We just came off the heels of a very successful U.S.-ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting, where Secretary Hegseth made a great impact—I could feel it among our counterparts here,” Teodoro stated. “It is proof of the Trump administration’s strong commitment to engage the ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific. We will continue to enhance both our bilateral and multilateral relationships, guided by our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Teodoro emphasized the country’s dedication to long-term peace amid China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

“The Philippines does seek peace, but in this instance, it is important to have a sustainable peace that is based on our own resilience and alliances with like-minded partners,” he noted.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including features within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Last May 21, a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship sideswiped and fired a water cannon at a civilian vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) near Sandy Cay or Pag-asa Cay 2 in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Hegseth echoed the value of the US-Philippines alliance as he stressed the importance of the two nations’ collaborative efforts, particularly the recently held Balikatan Exercises in Manila which featured 14,000 American and Filipino service members.

This year’s Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder in Filipino) Exercises, held from April 21 to May 9, simulated a comprehensive full-battle test across land, sea, air, cyber, and humanitarian domains.

“I want to applaud the Philippines for their courage and clarity in the South China Sea, and their clear-eyed recognition of the challenges we face. We stand shoulder to shoulder in our pursuit of peace and stability in the region,” he said.

In his speech at the defense summit, Hegseth warned the threat that China poses is “real” and “imminent”.

China appeared to have snubbed the Shangri-La Dialogue as it opted not send a representative to the event, which is considered as Asia’s leading defense summit.

“We can't account for whether China engages or not. All we know is that we're here and we will be here. And we seek to further establish peace through partnership with allies and partners in the region,” Hegseth said.

But the US defense chief stressed that deterrence of conflict also requires collective power and strength which, he said, could be achieved through partnerships with “like-minded” nations.

“We don't seek conflict with anybody. And that's important to emphasize. We're here to engage military to military, country to country,” he added. 

PH deepens ties with Singapore, Australia

Meanwhile, Teodoro also met with his counterparts from Singapore and Australia to bolster strategic defense partnerships in the region through interoperability, joint training, and enhanced logistical cooperation.

Teodoro met with Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing where he highlighted the Philippines’ expansive training areas ideal for urban and airborne exercises. 

He expressed interest in learning from Singapore’s experience operating the C-130J aircraft, especially in the areas of operations, maintenance, and cost-efficiency.

Chan welcomed the proposals and invited Philippine special forces to conduct training in Singapore. 

He also expressed interest in reciprocal opportunities for Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) troops in the Philippines, as well as expanding collaboration in navigation flights; Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO); and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR).

Meanwhile, Teodoro’s meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles focused on growing momentum in trilateral defense engagements involving the Philippines, Australia, and the United States.

Teodoro offered to host the second Philippines-Australia Defense Ministers’ Meeting, back-to-back with the conduct of “Exercise ALON” between Philippine and Australian forces.

For his part, Marles praised the evolving defense relationship of the two countries and stressed the need to translate longstanding people-to-people connections into a strong strategic and defense partnership.