The top defense and diplomatic officials from the U.S. and Philippines agreed on Tuesday to complete a road map on U.S. security assistance to the Philippines in the next five to 10 years, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday.
Austin said the long-time allies discussed the delivery of "priority defense platforms" including radars, drones, military transport aircraft and coastal and air defense systems at a so-called 2+2 meeting in Washington, which also involved U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their Philippine counterparts.
SEE ALSO: A related video by VOA's Carla Babb.
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US, Philippines Meet in Washington Amid Tensions in Pacific
Philippines Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo told the same news conference the two sides redoubled their commitment to modernizing the Philippines-U.S. alliance in recognition that "our partnership will need to play a stronger role in preserving an international law-based international order."
SEE ALSO: Philippines, US Kick Off Largest-Ever Joint Military DrillsExperts, including former U.S. defense officials, say the United States sees the Philippines as a potential location for rockets, missiles and artillery systems to counter a Chinese amphibious invasion of Taiwan, which China claims as its own.
SEE ALSO: US Navy Conducts Mission in Contested South China SeaAustin said that it was too early to discuss what assets the United States would like to station at military bases in the Philippines under a recently expanded Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
Manalo said the EDCA sites were mainly aimed at improving military interoperability, addressing potential humanitarian disasters "and perhaps respond to other types of security challenges," but did not elaborate.
The Pentagon has not specifically said what the additional sites will be used for, except that work would include airport expansion and training involving naval assets.
SEE ALSO: Philippines Reveals Locations of 4 New Strategic Sites for US Military PactManalo said on Monday that Washington and Manila will need to discuss what the U.S. may do with its access to the EDCA sites.
EDCA allows U.S. access to Philippine bases for joint training, prepositioning of equipment and building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but not a permanent presence.
U.S.-Philippines relations have warmed considerably under Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and the 2+2 meeting underlined that as the first of its kind in seven years. But Manila treads a delicate path with China, the region's economic powerhouse.
SEE ALSO: Philippines Launches Strategy of Publicizing Chinese ActionsMarcos assured China on Monday that military bases accessible to the U.S. would not be used in offensive action, stressing that the arrangement with Washington was designed to boost his country's defenses.