The United States has committed to boost the Philippines’ intelligence capabilities amid increased tensions with China over disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Saturday.
US National Director for Intelligence (NDI) James Clapper made the commitment at a meeting with Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in Washington on Friday, the DFA said.
Del Rosario also met on Friday with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates who “expressed readiness to strengthen the Philippines’ capability in securing its maritime territory,” the DFA said.
It also quoted Michelle Fluornoy, the US defense undersecretary for policy, as saying: “We should not allow this perception that you are alone and we’re not behind you.”
“[Clapper] pledged to enhance the NDI’s intelligence sharing with the Philippines to heighten the latter’s maritime situational awareness and surveillance in the West Philippine Sea,” the DFA said in a statement.
Clapper was quoted as saying that “we’ll do whatever we can to help” as he expressed concern over recent events in the South China Sea.
The “West Philippine Sea” is the term that the Philippine government now uses for the “South China Sea” to further stress its claim to territories in the region.
The assurance came after the US said it was ready to provide hardware to modernize the Philippine military at a joint press conference in Washington, DC, on Thursday with Del Rosario and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Del Rosario has been meeting in the past week with US state, defense and intelligence officials to seek US help for the Philippines’ poorly equipped military.
The Philippines is seeking to modernize its military following a series of incidents with China in the waters around the Spratly Islands, believed to sit on vast mineral resources.
Long association
Del Rosario also met separately with Clapper, who stressed the United States’ “long association” with the country.
The DFA said Clapper “pledged to enhance the NDI’s intelligence-sharing” with the country to heighten “maritime situational awareness and surveillance” in the disputed waters.
During his meeting with Gates, Del Rosario said he was exploring an option that would allow the Philippines to acquire newer military equipment at a lower cost. However, he did not say what that option was.
The foreign secretary said this would complement the foreign military sales program under which US traditionally allows the purchase of US excess defense articles by allies like the Philippines.
“We would be happy to have our team look into the full range of (the Philippines’) requirements,” Fluornoy was quoted as having told Del Rosario.
After their meeting on Thursday, Clinton told Del Rosario the US government would speed up their military assistance to boost the Philippines’ capabilities.
“We are determined and committed to supporting the defense of the Philippines,” she told the joint news conference.
Not fanning flames
In Washington, a ranking American diplomat said the US will seek to help defuse tensions in the South China Sea when it holds talks with China in Hawaii on Saturday.
Tensions around the Spratly Islands have escalated in recent weeks, with the Philippines and Vietnam alarmed at what they say are increasingly aggressive actions by Beijing in the disputed waters.
“The United States has no intention to fan the flames in the South China Sea and we have a very strong interest in the maintenance of peace and stability,” Kurt Campbell, the top US diplomat for East Asia, told reporters on Friday.
He said he expected the Spratlys disputes to be raised on Saturday at a US-China meeting in Honolulu which is part of the two countries’ strategic and economic dialogue.
“We’ve been very clear that the United States does not take a position on sovereignty issues,” said Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs.
“But we also have strong principles that are longstanding in the maintenance of freedom of navigation, and free and unimpeded legal commerce and the maintenance of peace and stability,” he said.
“Those principles are longstanding and will continue, and we underscore them in all of our interactions in the Asia-Pacific region,” he added.
“It is not our desire to see, as I said, these flames fanned. We want recent tensions to subside and cooler heads to prevail,” he said.
He said the US delegation will ask the Chinese “some specific questions” about “the direction of Chinese military developments” as well as sound them out on diplomacy with North Korea and Myanmar.
US help at a price
The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Saturday warned against US promising military assistance, claiming they come at a price.
“The US government has its own agenda in this dispute, one that is not necessarily the same as the Philippine agenda. The Aquino government should be more circumspect in dealing with Uncle Sam, and not fall head over heels over promises of military assistance,” said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. Reports from AFP, Julie M. Aurelio and Tarra Quismundo