Hours before US President Barack Obama arrived in Manila, the Philippines and US signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), hailed as a key aspect in the Washington’s Asia-Pacific re-pivot strategy.

Throughout his four-country Asian swing, Obama has projected the re-pivot as proof that the US recognizes the significance of the Asia-Pacific in the new world order, and that it must play a key role in shaping the region’s economic and political landscape.