Maids want American armament to fight against Chinese

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Jun 24, 2011
US ready to arm Philippines amid China tension

The United States said on Thursday it was ready to provide hardware to modernise the military of the Philippines, which vowed to 'stand up to any aggressive action' amid rising tension at sea with China. --PHOTO: REUTERS

WASHINGTON - THE United States said on Thursday it was ready to provide hardware to modernise the military of the Philippines, which vowed to 'stand up to any aggressive action' amid rising tension at sea with China.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, on a visit to Washington, said the Philippines hoped to lease equipment to upgrade its aged fleet and called for the allies to revamp their relationship in light of the friction with China.

'We are determined and committed to supporting the defence of the Philippines,' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a joint news conference when asked about the hardware wish-list from the Philippines.

Mrs Clinton said the two nations were working 'to determine what are the additional assets that the Philippines needs and how we can best provide those'. She said Mr del Rosario would meet Defence Secretary Robert Gates and other Pentagon officials.

Tensions in the strategic and resource-rich South China Sea have escalated in recent weeks, with the Philippines and Vietnam alarmed at what they say are increasingly aggressive actions by Beijing in the disputed waters.

'We are concerned that recent incidents in the South China Sea could undermine peace and stability,' Mrs Clinton told reporters, urging 'all sides to exercise self-restraint.' Mr del Rosario, with Mrs Clinton at his side, said: 'While we are a small country, we are prepared to do what is necessary to stand up to any aggressive action in our backyard.' -- AFP

 

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US, Philippine navies to train near disputed waters
Posted: 25 June 2011 0005 hrs

MANILA, Philippines : The United States and the Philippines said Friday they would hold joint naval exercises next week in waters close to disputed areas of the South China Sea.

Eleven days of manoeuvres will start Tuesday, after a pledge by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday that Washington was ready to provide hardware to the Filipino military amid rising tension at sea with China.

The guided missile destroyers USS Chung-Hoon and USS Howard and the diving and salvage ship USNS Safeguard will arrive Tuesday at the western Philippine island of Palawan, a joint statement said.

"The US and Philippine navies have a long history of working together, and exercises like (these) provide a great venue for us to hone our skills and increase our inter-operability," the US commander Captain David Welch said.

The exercises will be held in the Palawan area, the joint naval statement said, without specifying where.

Palawan's west coast faces the South China Sea, where tensions over the resource-rich area have been escalating, with the Philippines and Vietnam alarmed at what they say are increasingly aggressive actions by Beijing.

China, the Philippines and Vietnam, along with Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan, lay claim to all or parts of the Spratlys, a South China Sea island chain close to Palawan.

The statement said the drills aim to hone maritime security capabilities in interdiction, information sharing, combined operations, patrol operations and gunnery, along with anti-piracy and anti-smuggling know-how.

The US navy holds similar regular bilateral exercises, called Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, with the armed forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, the statement said.

Vietnam also takes part in a similar event known as Naval Exchange Activity, it said.

- AFP /ls