US out to boost AsPac military ties

From the Manila Standard Today (Jan 13): US out to boost AsPac military ties

The United States  wants to  strengthen military cooperation among its allies in the Asia-Pacific Region in order to protect the smaller nations from being bullied by bigger countries instead of putting up military bases in the Philippines.

US Ambassador Philip Goldberg on Saturday echoed his government’s position. “We are currently discussing with the Philippine government on how to strengthen our military training and cooperation as well as our positioning in order to protect the country from abuses of other bigger countries.”

Goldberg told reporters during a  press briefing after his visit to the Philippine Military Academy that the Philippines will get the needed support of the US.

The US envoy’s pronouncements came in the light of the latest provocative action of China demanding that fishing activities within the South China Sea must be approved by the said country.

However, Goldberg said the US will make sure that the principle on the freedom of navigation will be recognized by all nations in order to ensure peace in the global community.

He lauded the Philippine government for following the lawful process in bringing to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea China’s bullying activities in the West Philippine Sea.

Such activities put a threat on the country’s sovereignty, according to Goldberg who stressed  that peace-loving nations must learn to recognize the sanctions of international bodies over their actions that tend to affect other nations.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/01/13/us-out-to-boost-aspac-military-ties/