MANILA, Philippines (AP) — U.S. and Philippine forces on Monday began their largest annual military exercises since President Rodrigo Duterte came to power and vowed to scale down America's military presence in the country as he sought closer ties with China and Russia.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's top aide has summoned the U.S. ambassador to discuss a global threat assessment by American intelligence agencies that mentioned Duterte along with dangers facing democracy in Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said Friday that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea discussed the U.S. intelligence community's Worldwide Threat Assessment report with U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim on Thursday.
Ambassador: US Aided Philippine Troops In Fight
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine and U.S. troops kicked off Monday their annual joint exercises that are smaller in scale than in years past, focusing on disaster response and counterterrorism while excluding territorial defense operations and maritime security.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine defense chief and two other Cabinet members on Saturday toured a U.S. aircraft carrier patrolling the disputed South China Sea on the invitation of the Navy, U.S. Embassy officials said.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II visited the USS Carl Vinson along with three Philippine security officials, said U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Molly Koscina.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States is not building any weapons depot anywhere in the Philippines, the U.S. ambassador said Tuesday, denying the basis on which President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to abrogate a 2014 defense pact that allows U.S. forces to temporarily base in local camps.
Ambassador Sung Kim said that nothing is being planned now that even closely resembles a weapons depot.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry expressed confidence Thursday that the U.S. relationship with the Philippines can survive recent turbulence as he swore in a new U.S. ambassador to the Southeast Asian nation.
Kerry administered the oath of office to Sung Kim, formerly the chief U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, in a ceremony at the State Department.