Philippines, US agree to boost industrial defense ties during Hegseth’s visit
MANILA, Philippines — The during US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to Manila, the United States and the Philippines have agreed to bolster industrial defense areas of the 1951 mutual defense treaty through enhanced cooperation.
Hegseth, alongside his Philippine counterpart Gilbert Teodoro, stressed the need to bolster deterrence against threats in the Indo-Pacific Region.
The US defense chief also reaffirmed America's commitment to the Philippines' defense, pointing to a $500 million military funding pledge to its Southeast Asian ally.
In a "Joint Vision Statement on U.S.-Philippine Defense Industrial Cooperation," the two countries outlined various areas for collaboration, including:
- Unmanned systems
- Ammunition components/energetics
- Critical minerals
- Logistics support
- Ship maintenance and repair
- Airspace integration
- Additive manufacturing
- Aircraft maintenance and repair
- System components and spare parts production
The statement also expressed plans to remove barriers in industrial regulations and ensure the resilience of industrial cooperation initiatives.
"Projects under this framework intend to seek to support the Philippines as it develops more advanced defense capabilities, grows, and diversifies its economy, and contributes to bilateral and regional defense industrial base capacity," the joint statement read.
Hegseth had strong words for Beijing during his visit, labeling China as a "communist" threat. He said that while the US is not seeking war, it remains prepared for any eventuality.
This stance comes in response to China's continued claims on the West Philippine Sea, despite the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling affirming the Philippines' rights to the disputed waters.
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