US to give Philippines $672m in military aid to counter China

The United States on July 30 said it is giving the Philippines US$500 million (S$672 million) to boost Manila’s military capabilities, as the South-east Asian country defends its claims against a more aggressive Beijing in the disputed South China Sea.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin made the announcement after meeting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr as well as their Filipino counterparts, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr, in Manila.

Mr Austin called it a “once-in-a-generation investment” to modernise the armed forces of the Philippines and the country’s coast guard.

“This level of funding is unprecedented and sends a clear message of support for the Philippines from the Biden-Harris administration, US Congress and the American people,” he said in a press briefing by the defence and foreign ministers of both nations.

Reuters reported that Manila previously received around US$1.14 billion worth of US military assistance from 2015 to 2022, including US$475.3 million worth of foreign military financing.

The US officials are in the middle of a 10-day Indo-Pacific tour aimed at reassuring allies and shoring up support as Washington competes with China for greater influence in the region.

They came from Tokyo, where they met their Japanese and South Korean counterparts. Mr Blinken earlier visited Vietnam and Laos, and will end his Asian trip in Singapore before heading back to the US.

Mr Austin said US President Joe Biden is also proposing a separate fund, worth US$128 million this year, which will be used for key infrastructure projects at the nine Philippine military bases that the US currently has access to under an Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).