THE top foreign and defence officials of the United States and the Philippines will meet in Washington next week, the US State Department announced, just as the two countries have expanded their defence cooperation agreement.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin will receive Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and defence chief Carlito Galvez on Tuesday.
The announcement of the meeting of the two longtime allies came after the Philippines on Monday identified four more of its military bases that the United States will get access to under an expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
The near doubling of EDCA sites on Wednesday was achieved at a time of growing concern over China’s conduct in the South China Sea and tension over self-ruled Taiwan.
The sites named on Monday are the Camilo Osias navy base in Sta Ana and Lal-lo airport, both in Cagayan province, and Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela province and the island of Balabac off Palawan. — Reuters
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