PH, U.S. to strengthen security pact; China army told to brace for 'military struggle'

From InterAksyon (Dec 12): PH, U.S. to strengthen security pact; China army told to brace for 'military struggle'



U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell (R) joins hands with U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Mark Lippert (2nd R), Philippines ambassador to the U.S. Jose Cuisia and Philippines Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio (L) during a joint news conference after their meeting at a hotel in Manila December 12, 2012. REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo

Amid the rising tension with China over territorial disputes at sea, the Philippines will be strengthening its security pact with the United States this week. Meanwhile, without making direct reference to the disputes, new Chinese Communist Party chief Xi Jinping urged his military to prepare for a struggle, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Xi made the comments during his visit to a South China Sea fleet ship in southern Guangdong province, but did not name any potential aggressor. Senior U.S. and Philippine officials met on Wednesday in Manila to discuss strengthening security and economic ties at a time of growing tension over China's aggressive sovereignty claims over vast stretches of the disputed South China Sea.

Increased naval troops, defense equipment

Philippine Defense Secretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said the U.S. is set to increase a "combination" of naval troops, defense equipment, and military training and exercises in the Philippines. The increase of a minimum credible defense posture in the Philippines is part of the implementation of Manila and Washington's 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, according to Batino. Although there are no specifics on when and where the U.S. plans to increase military posture and exercises in the Philippines, Batino said U.S> and Philippines officials had agreed to form a technical working group that would determine and implement the details.  "Nothing definitive because this is a policy consultation meeting. And then all of these specifics will have to be threshout to the lower consultation," Batino on Wednesday told reporters at the sidelines of the PH-US bilateral consultation at the Diamond Hotel in Manila."There is nothing have been discussed in respect to number as of this time. It will be primarily an increase of the defense cooperation activities such as training and exercises all geared for maritime security and disaster relief," added Batino. What we are discussing right now is increasing the rotational presence of U.S. forces," Carlos Sorreta, the foreign ministry's Assistant Secretary for American Affairs, told reporters on Wednesday.

Pact inked this week

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Jessie Dellosa and Admiral Samul Locklear, commander of the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) will be the ones finalizing and signing the security pact this week. “The meeting will be on Thursday here in Camp Aguinaldo. It will be the final meeting for the 2012 cycle of the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Board (MDB) and the Security Engagement Board (SEB). The executive committee meetings had been conducted already before so this will be the final one,” military spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said.

The head of the military’s Internal Affairs Division, Col. Nilo Perfecto, said the document that would be signed is the Terms of Reference. “The Terms of Reference which will be signed by Admiral Locklear and Gen. Dellosa will cover five concerns,” Perfecto told reporters on Thursday. Among the terms of reference is the exclusion of the Philippine National Police particularly the PNP chief from the MDB, according to Perfecto. “The PNP will be no longer part of the Armed Forces. It will be removed from the MDB,” he said. But he said the PNP chief would be placed as a member of the SEB with the commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). “The SEB will be in charge on nontraditional challenges like disaster response, counter-terrorism, anti-piracy, among others,” Perfecto said. The PNP and PCG will also establish the Technology Experimentation Sub-Committee and the National Guard and build partnership with Guam and Hawaii as operational planning group. “The intention of this is to help our reservists in the AFP to have technology experimentation and knowledge and to organize counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief working groups,” Perfecto said.

Brace for a 'military struggle'

Wary of Washington's intentions, China is building up its own military. Its claims over most of the South China Sea have set it directly against U.S. allies Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also claim parts of the mineral-rich waters. Xi, who assumed the role of military chief about a month ago, called on the 2.3-million-strong People's Liberation Army to "push forward preparations for a military struggle", state news agency Xinhua said. Xi, speaking during a three-day inspection of the PLA's Guangzhou base starting last Saturday, did not say against whom the struggle might be fought. His remarks echo those he made a week ago and are a common refrain by Chinese leaders. Xi replaced President Hu Jintao as chairman of the Central Military Commission on November 15. Xi also said the army should "modernize" for combat readiness, but gave no specific details.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/50297/ph-u-s--to-strengthen-security-pact-china-army-told-to-brace-for-military-struggle