The Philippines has asked the US to hold joint naval patrols amid territorial dispute in the South China Sea
Manuel Mogato, Reuters
BusinessInsider.com
Jan. 14, 2015
The Philippines has asked the United States to hold joint naval patrols, a defense ministry spokesman said on Thursday, amid a territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea.
Foreign and defense ministers from the United States and the Philippines met in Washington this week for the second time in more than three years to discuss trade and security, focusing on the South China Sea.
“We are suggesting that we also patrol the area together,” Peter Paul Galvez told reporters in Manila. “There is a need for a more collaborative presence in the South China Sea.”
U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus underscored the importance of the U.S.-Philippine relationship, but declined to comment on the Philippine request for joint patrols.
China claims almost all the disputed waters of the South China Sea, where it has reclaimed land and built facilities. The region, believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas and through which $5 trillion of trade passes every year, is also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines.
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