Phl-US ties changed amid China aggression

United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III highlighted the changes in US ties with the Philippines and US posture upgrade, including expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) to allow access to four more sites in the country.

- By PIA LEE-BRAGO

Austin pointed to the strength of its alliances and partnerships, noting the 32 member nations of NATO, alliances with Australia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, 14 major non-NATO allies and major defense partners.

"Just think about the changes in our bonds with the Philippines. In just four years, we've expanded our Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement to allow US access to four more sites, for a total of nine. I visited one of those sites on the island of Palawan just 18 days ago – and I was incredibly impressed by the progress that we're making together," he said in his remarks at the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday.