Blinken, Austin to meet Philippine officials in alliance push

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Enrique Manalo speaks during address a joint press conference with the German Foreign Minister on February 20, 2023 at the Foreign Office in Berlin. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)

WASHINGTON (Bloomberg): US State Secretary Antony Blinken and Defence chief Lloyd Austin will meet their Philippine counterparts next week, as Manila vowed to pursue efforts with Washington towards "collective defence” of the region around the disputed South China Sea.

The two nations’ top diplomats and defence chiefs will meet for the first time since 2016 in Washington to tackle key areas of cooperation, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said in a statement released Wednesday (April 5).