US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says on Nov. 19, 2024 that the US alliance with the Philippines will transcend changes in administrations, as he reiterates his support for the Southeast Asian nation. The Philippines will remain an important country for the US for many years, Austin told a press conference during a visit to the Philippine military's Western Command on the island of Palawan next to the South China Sea. Both Austin and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro expressed concerns over China's conduct in the South China Sea, with the Pentagon chief reiterating Washington's defense commitments to the Philippines under a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. Austin said the treaty would also cover an armed attack in the South China Sea, where China had used dangerous and escalatory measures to try to assert its expansive claims.
US NETWORK POOL / REUTERS VIDEO
