The United States said it is moving to deepen military coordination with the Philippines, with U.S. Ambassador Lee Lipton reaffirming Washington’s commitment to Manila days after Defense Secretary Hegseth announced increased security cooperation funding and a new alliance modernization initiative during talks with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Cebu.
The renewed U.S.-Philippines defense initiatives come as Washington and Beijing continue high-level engagement despite intensifying strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific. In September, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Washington, where he and U.S. President Trump discussed trade, technology, artificial intelligence and regional security while agreeing to sustain dialogue through new mechanisms, including a China-U.S. AI Dialogue. Trump later said he expects to meet Xi again in China this month.
In a statement ‘addressed to the people of the Philippines,’ Lipton said the United States remains committed to the Philippines and a shared vision of a peaceful, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific following Hegseth’s visit for the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).
‘Following Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s very successful visit to Cebu for the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, I want to reaffirm the United States’s enduring commitment to the Philippines and our shared vision for a peaceful, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific,’ Lipton said.
The statement followed a bilateral meeting between Hegseth and Teodoro on October 28 on the sidelines of the ASEAN defense meetings, where the two officials discussed security cooperation, alliance modernization and military posture initiatives.
According to a readout released by the U.S. Defense Department, the two defense chiefs agreed to launch an ‘alliance command and control modernization sprint’ aimed at enhancing real-time bilateral coordination and strengthening alliance resilience. They also welcomed progress in implementing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), including investments in critical infrastructure and storage facilities across the Philippines.
Hegseth likewise announced an increase in U.S. security cooperation funds to accelerate the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and enhance interoperability along the First Island Chain, a strategic arc stretching from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines. U.S. officials did not disclose the amount of additional funding.
In a separate post on X, Hegseth said he and Teodoro discussed ‘modernizing alliance C2, security cooperation, and deterrence in the South China Sea.’
‘We are accelerating efforts to modernize (the Armed Forces of the Philippines) and enhance our interoperability along the First Island Chain,’ he wrote.
In the US foreign policy and strategic context, the First Island Chain is the US defense strategic maritime perimeter stretching from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines, serving as a geographic barrier to Chinese naval expansion and the primary line of forward defense for the US and its allies in the Indo-Pacific.
The Cebu engagements also included a separate meeting among the defense ministers of the United States, the Philippines, Japan and Australia, reflecting growing security cooperation among the four countries.
In another post on X, Hegseth described the talks as productive and said the four countries were moving ‘beyond words to practical cooperation along the First Island Chain.’
‘Deterrence is built on real capability and ready partnerships,’ he said. ‘We are moving beyond words to practical cooperation along the First Island Chain, bolstering readiness to ensure peace through strength.’
The remarks underscore increasingly close coordination among the four countries as they seek to strengthen deterrence and maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific amid continuing tensions in the South China Sea.
For his part, Lipton described the U.S. commitment to Philippine security as ‘ironclad,’ citing joint military exercises, expanded maritime cooperation, disaster response support, public health assistance and security cooperation programs as evidence of the alliance’s strength.
Marking the 75th anniversary of the Philippines-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, the ambassador said the alliance remains a cornerstone of regional security.
‘As we mark 75 years of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, our message is clear: our alliance is stronger than ever,’ Lipton said.
He added that the United States stands firmly with the Filipino people in defending sovereignty, protecting territorial integrity and upholding freedom of navigation.
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Beyond defense cooperation, Lipton said Washington is seeking a stronger economic partnership with Manila, stressing that reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade remains essential to shared prosperity.
During the ASEAN defense meetings in Cebu, Hegseth also proposed developing a U.S.-ASEAN framework for defense cooperation focused on maritime domain awareness, interoperability and cooperation among regional navies. The proposal is expected to be discussed further as Singapore assumes the chairmanship of the ASEAN defense process next year.
The Philippines recently concluded its hosting of the 20th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting and the 13th ADMM-Plus, where regional defense leaders discussed security challenges and practical defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Philippine officials said the meetings highlighted the importance of sustained engagement by dialogue partners, including the United States, in supporting regional peace and stability.