The United States and the Philippines are updating the mutual defense treaty signed in 1951, and in a new era offers new challenges but new opportunities, the Secretary of State said.
Aboard the USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) in Manila, commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States has three guidelines as it works to bring the treaty and regional alliances up to date.
“First, we are working to ensure that the core objectives of our alliances have the political support of our people,” she said. “Second, we want our alliances to be nimble, adaptive, flexible so they can continue to deliver results in this new world. And third, we are making sure that our collective defense capabilities and communications infrastructure are operationally and materially capable of deterring provocation from the full spectrum of state and non-state actors.”
Thus, the United States is working with the Philippines to ensure the ability to meet the threat of proliferation and terrorism, and to support the Philippines particularly in the maritime defense, as it works to improve territorial defense and interdiction capabilities.
“In August, we transferred a Coast Guard cutter here…and we are together considering transferring a second one as well,” Clinton said.
The United States also wants to move beyond defense, she said, pointing to the Manila Declaration just signed that sets forth a shared vision for strategic, political, economic, and people-to-people cooperation. Beyond that will be signed a Statement of Principles for the Partnership for Growth to help the Philippines break into the ranks of the world’s high-performing economies.
Clinton pointed to the Fitzgerald as an example of the work that goes on day to day. The Fitzgerald patrolled the entire Western Pacific region this year, traveling to Australia, Russia, Guam, Saipan, the Marshall Islands, before docking in Manila Bay, she said. Also, as part of Operation Tomodachi, the search, rescue, and recovery mission following the earthquake, the tsunami, and the nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan, the Fitzgerald operated closest to shore.
Additionally, this past summer, Fitzgerald transited the Gregorio del Pilar, the flagship of the Filipino navy on its maiden voyage across the Pacific, Clinton said. The ships cross-decked and held training sessions for 16 days on emergency response and onboard medical procedures, achieving new levels of proficiency and partnership by the end of the exercise.