Bipartisan US bill seeks $2.5 billion for Philippines defense
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[April 11, 2024]
By David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On the eve of a trilateral summit between the
United States, Japan and the Philippines, two prominent U.S. senators on
Wednesday introduced a bipartisan bill to provide Manila with $2.5
billion to boost its defenses against Chinese pressure.
The bill, put forward by Republican Bill Hagerty, a former ambassador to
Japan, and Democrat Tim Kaine, authorizes $500 million a year in Foreign
Military Financing (FMF) grant assistance to the Philippines over the
five fiscal years to 2029.
The Philippines, a long term ally of the United States, has become
increasingly important strategically in U.S. and Japanese efforts to
push back against China and has been in need of funding to modernize its
long-neglected armed forces.
The bill requires the U.S. secretary of state, in coordination with the
Pentagon, to submit an annual spending plan to Congress on how the U.S.
government would spend the grant and an annual report on steps taken to
enhance the U.S.-Philippines defense relationship.
The latter would include a description of the capabilities needed to
modernize Philippine defense capabilities.
Areas could include coastal defense, long-range fires, integrated air
defenses, maritime security, manned and unmanned aerial systems,
mechanized ground mobility vehicles, intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance and defensive cybersecurity, Hagerty's office said.
In a statement shared with Reuters, Hagerty said it was "critical" to
deepen cooperation with the Philippines at a time of "Communist China's
growing aggression in the West Philippines Sea and South China Sea."
Kaine echoed this, saying it was "pivotal that the people of the
Philippines have the resources and support they need in the face of
those threats."
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U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty (D-TN) speaks during the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs hearing, to review of the fiscal year 2023 budget
request for the U.S. Department of State, on Capitol Hill in
Washington, U.S., April 27, 2022. Michael A. McCoy/Pool via
REUTERS/File Photo
The Philippines and China have had a series of maritime run-ins,
including an incident in March when China used water cannons to
disrupt a Philippine supply mission to soldiers stationed on a
grounded warship in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.
Hagerty said the funds would "profoundly strengthen and modernize
the defense and deterrence capabilities" of the U.S.-Philippines
alliance.
On Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden will hold a bilateral meeting
with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, and the two will join
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida for a trilateral summit expected to
focus on countering Chinese pressure on the Philippines in the
disputed South China Sea.
In 2022, the United States said it was making $100 million in FMF
available to the Philippines, underscoring greatly improved defense
ties between the treaty allies under Marcos, whose predecessor,
Rodrigo Duterte, had sought warmer ties with China.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Don Durfee and Sonali
Paul)
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