August 9, 2023

Chinese observers on Wednesday warned over growing US instigation and intervention after Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed the "ironclad" relations amid the recent tension between China and the Philippines over the Ren'ai Reef in China's Nansha Islands. 

According to a statement released by the Pentagon on Wednesday, the two defense chiefs reiterated both nations' commitment to bolstering cooperation, including strengthening "bilateral training, interoperability, and support for the modernization of the Philippine Armed Forces."    

Austin backed the Philippine's stance in the disputes over the Ren'ai Reef and voiced support for the "2016 arbitral ruling" on the South China Sea, CNN reported, as the two countries are seeking an in-person meeting in the near future. 

Read more:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202308/1295967.shtml