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April 9, 2025

The Philippines Expands Global Defense Partnerships Amid Rising Regional Tensions

ph military
Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity being held in the West Philippine Sea, on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (Private First Class Carmelotes/Public Affairs Office Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP, File) — https://apnews.com/article/canada-philippines-south-china-sea-129b827017ade938af3c1f1e262fc72f
April 9, 2025

The Philippines continues to strengthen international military relationships and expand strategic partnerships, recently securing military hardware from Brazil, finalizing defense pact negotiations with Canada, and establishing a high-level strategic military dialogue with Japan that includes enhanced intelligence-sharing, demonstrating a pragmatic approach to rapidly addressing gaps in capabilities. Additionally, the Philippines received a significant exemption from the recent freeze on U.S. military aid, ensuring uninterrupted access to $336 million in assistance. Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s visit to Manila underscored Washington's “ironclad” commitment, reaffirming the Philippines’ critical role in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy and regional security architecture and marking a renewed push toward deeper defense cooperation, reinforcing Manila’s strategic importance in U.S. foreign and defense policies.  

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