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The US has pledged to deepen its cooperation with long-time ally the Philippines by committing US$8 million in funding to help modernise its coastguard as China’s rival maritime claims with the island nation press on.
The funding would be used to support the Philippine coastguard’s “infrastructure enhancements, training programme development and resource acquisition and management planning”, the US embassy in Manila said in a statement on Monday.
Without mentioning China by name, the countries at a bilateral maritime dialogue in Manila last week “reviewed ongoing cooperative efforts and discussed ways for the two sides to jointly address current challenges and shared maritime concerns, particularly in the South China Sea”, the embassy added.
The plan for the Philippine coastguard was announced by the US State Department’s bureau of international narcotics and law enforcement during last week’s dialogue.
Washington’s vow of support for Manila came at a time of high tension in the Indo-Pacific, a vast region whose natural resources and commercially vital waterways have made it “a top regional priority” for the US coastguard.
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Frictions between Washington and Beijing have strained relations between the two economic giants in trade, investment and technology, with their pitched competition for global clout shaping their military and diplomatic dealings.