U.S. and Philippines sign a pact to secure shared military intelligence and weapons technology

US and Philippines sign agreement for military intelligence exchange, boosting defense against China in Asia.

The United States and the Philippines signed an agreement on Monday (November 18, 2024) to secure the exchange of highly confidential military intelligence and technology in key weapons the U.S. would provide to Manila.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, signed the legally binding General Security of Military Information Agreement in Manila at a time when the longtime treaty allies have boosted their defense and military engagements, including large-scale joint combat drills, largely in response to China’s increasingly aggressive actions in Asia.

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The outgoing Biden administration has taken steps to strengthen an arc of military alliances across the Indo-Pacific region to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan or in the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing has claimed almost in its entirety.

That has dovetailed with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s thrust to strengthen his country’s external defenses given an alarming escalation of territorial confrontations between Chinese and Filipinos forces in the South China Sea.

The Department of National Defense in Manila said the agreement aims to ensure the security of classified military information that would be exchanged between the U.S. and the Philippines.

It will “allow the Philippines access to higher capabilities and big-ticket items from the United States,” the Philippine defense department said.