JAKARTA - The United States and the Philippines formed a new joint task force (task force) to strengthen cooperation and increase military readiness in various regions, including the South Ciahna Sea.
The Pentagon announcement follows a meeting between Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth and Philippine National Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro at a meeting of ASEAN defense ministers in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.
The Philippine Task Force "will increase operational cooperation, perfect joint planning, and improve interoperability, particularly in the South China Sea," said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
In a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Friday, Hegseth said he voiced his concern about China's actions against Washington's regional allies and partners, which appeared to refer to repeated clashes with the Philippines in the South China Sea and tensions with Australia over reconnaissance flights.
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Hegseth also said the US was concerned about China's disputed activities in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.
The US and Philippine defense ministers "expressed their determination to rebuild deterrence in the region" in their fourth meeting, the Pentagon said.
The US and the Philippines have joint defense agreements.
They also announced the completion of plans to modernize defense partnerships and accelerate key priority progress over the next two years.
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