Trump defense chief Hegseth coming to PH in first trip to Asia
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to visit the Philippines in his first trip to Asia this weekend, for talks that will include increasing deterrence against aggression in the disputed South China Sea.
Hegseth will be in Manila on March 28 and March 29 to meet with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro Jr. as well as with President Marcos. The talks will touch on increasingly assertive actions by Beijing in the South China Sea and “more significant support” to Philippine security forces by the Trump administration, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez told Associated Press (AP).
In the United States, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth will first visit Hawaii for a meeting with officials of the Indo-Pacific Command, then tour US military facilities in Guam and receive briefings on their capabilities before flying to the Philippines and Japan.
According to Parnell, Hegseth would “advance security objectives with Philippine leaders and meet with US and Philippine forces. In Japan, he would participate in a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima and meet with Japanese leaders and US military forces.
“The secretary looks forward to some great PT (physical training) with the troops!” Parnell also said.
“These engagements will drive ongoing efforts to strengthen our alliances and partnerships toward our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Parnell also said, adding that the trip “comes as the United States builds on unprecedented cooperation with like-minded countries to strengthen regional security.”
‘Strong message to China’
US President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy thrust has triggered concerns about the scale and depth of US commitment to the region.
Romualdez said Hegseth’s upcoming visit is “a strong message to China on solid bilateral relations” between Washington and Manila.
He also said the US defense chief may announce Trump’s invitation for Mr. Marcos to visit Washington.
Hegseth, in his first telephone talk with Teodoro in February, “reaffirmed the ironclad US commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and its importance [in] maintaining a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”
The two officials “discussed the importance of reestablishing deterrence in the South China Sea, including by working with allies and partners,” the Pentagon said earlier regarding that phone conversation. “They also discussed enhancing the capability and capacity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”
Teodoro on Saturday said he and Hegseth would “look at future programs that both governments will enter into.”
Hegseth’s visit to the Philippines comes a month before the longtime treaty allies hold their annual “Balikatan” or shoulder-to-shoulder joint exercises—which in recent years have been held near the Luzon Strait facing Taiwan, the self-governing island China claims as its territory.
