Philippines warns China may reassert itself amid US-South Korea drill cuts
Manila defence chief says Washington gave 'definite assurances' that its commitments to the Philippines remain.
Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has warned that Beijing could view recent cuts to the joint US-South Korea military drills as an opportunity to reassert itself in the Asia Pacific.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue, an annual multilateral security forum, Teodoro said that “China is very quick to exploit gaps”, when asked on Monday whether Beijing could seize on the move.
He added that Washington had given Manila “definite assurances” that the US commitments to the Philippines remained unchanged.
Last week, South Korea’s presidential office said it was mulling “contributions” to the US’s freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The presidential office later clarified that nothing has been decided, as any military deployment by South Korea requires a decision by the country’s National Security Council, a resolution at a cabinet meeting, and consent from the National Assembly.