Philippines’ defense chief says discusses South China Sea situation with US counterpart

The Philippine defense chief discussed the situation in the South China Sea with his US counterpart in a telephone conference on Sunday, and said both sides were looking forward to conducting a joint military exercise called “Balikatan.”

They also discussed recent developments in regional security, according to a statement issued by Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s department. The US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III reiterated the importance of the two countries’ Visiting Forces Agreement.