U.S. Defense Secretary to Visit Philippines Amid South China Sea Tensions

This is U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's first trip to the Indo-Pacific region since Trump took office. He will be in the Philippines next week.

According to Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, the main goals of his March 28–29 visit will be to improve security ties between the United States and the Philippines and increase deterrence in the disputed South China Sea.

When Hegseth arrives in Manila, he will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. The talks will cover China's growing assertiveness in the area and examine how the US can give the Philippine military "more significant support."

China claims almost the whole South China Sea, even though the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan all have their rights. Chinese and Philippine forces have been fighting over maritime rights for the past few years, making things more tense.

Romualdez stressed that Hegseth's visit sends a strong message to China and strengthens the relationship between the US and the Philippines. There are still concerns about how committed the U.S. really is under Trump's "America First" strategy.

The U.S. is working harder to reassure its partners in the Indo-Pacific region and stop China from expanding its maritime reach.

‍