US Defense chief Austin to visit Philippines this week

United States Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III is set to visit the Philippines this week to advance security objectives with local officials, according to the Pentagon on Tuesday (US time).

“Secretary Austin will make his fourth visit to the Philippines, where he will advance security objectives with Philippine leaders and meet with U.S. and Philippine forces,” Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement.

Austin will depart this week for a trip to Australia, the Philippines, Laos, and Fiji for a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings as part of the US’ efforts to modernize alliances and partnerships for a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to Ryder.

The US Defense chief will first travel to Darwin, Australia—his 12th official visit to the region—for multilateral meetings with regional allies and engagements with US Marines from the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin.

Austin will proceed to his fourth visit to the Philippines.

Then, he will visit Laos for the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus on November 21, reaffirm the US commitment to ASEAN centrality at the ASEAN-United States Informal Meeting, and identify future areas of cooperation with regional counterparts.

Austin will end his trip in Fiji, which is the first ever visit by a US Defense chief in the country, and will meet its leaders to deepen their bilateral defense relationship.

“Secretary Austin's trip comes as the United States builds on unprecedented cooperation with like-minded countries to strengthen regional security,” Ryder said.

Earlier, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed optimism that the US will maintain its support in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) under US President-elect Donald Trump.

“Our long history of shared values, common interests, and respect for international law will transcend administrations both in the US and in our country,” Philippine Navy spokesperson for WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trindidad said.

“Our military relationship will remain strong. It is both in our interests that the Indo-Pacific will remain free and open to all,” he added.

AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said that the US is a long-time ally of the Philippines in terms of bilateral and multilateral treaties.

“Kahit naman po nagpalit ng mga presidente, because these are locked in stone, so to speak, itong mga treaties natin, tuloy-tuloy naman po ang ating activities with them,” Padilla said.

(Even with the election of a new president, because these treaties are locked in stone, so to speak, our activities with them continue.)

“And they honor naman po ang pinirmahan, nilagdaan po natin na mga treaties together (And they honor the treaties we signed together),” she added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News