MANILA July 30. 2024 (Saba) - The US secretaries of state and defense met with their Philippine counterparts in Manila on Tuesday for talks likely to be dominated by Beijing's growing influence in the South China Sea.
A series of escalating confrontations between Philippine and Chinese ships in the disputed waterway has heightened concerns that Washington could be drawn into a conflict over its mutual defense treaty with Manila.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are on a tour of Asia to shore up regional alliances as Washington confronts China's growing military and diplomatic influence.
Blinken and Austin began their visit to Manila by meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos before holding "2+2" talks with their Philippine counterparts Enrique Manalo and Gilberto Teodoro.
M.M
resource : SABA
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