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MANILA, Philippines (AP) 鈥� The Philippines’ top diplomat to the United States expressed confidence Monday that President Donald Trump鈥檚 new administration would continue military patrols in the disputed South China Sea and move ahead with an agreed expansion of the U.S. military presence in the Philippines, as concerns rise over China鈥檚 increasingly assertive actions in the region.

Ambassador Jose Romualdez, who has had meetings with Trump鈥檚 diplomatic, defense and congressional officials, said the U.S. would likely maintain its support to help modernize the Philippine military, which is at the forefront of deterring China鈥檚 growing assertiveness in the disputed waters.

鈥淎ll of that will remain,鈥� Romualdez told foreign correspondents at a news conference in Manila. 鈥淚 am confident that it will.鈥�

A Washington meeting between Trump and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was being arranged and could happen as soon as as both leaders鈥� schedules allow, maybe in the spring, Romualdez said.

There was no immediate comment by Chinese officials on Romualdez’s statements.

Trump鈥檚 鈥淎merica First鈥� foreign policy and moves to roll back Washington’s development assistance and security aid worldwide have set off concerns about the scale and depth of the U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific in his new term.

In recent talks between Philippine defense and military officials and their American counterparts, both sides have reaffirmed their commitment to maintain robust ties.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany last month and 鈥渘ot only reaffirmed U.S. commitment to the United States-Philippines alliance but noted his enthusiasm for building an even more invested and enduring relationship,鈥� State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said then.

Their 鈥渄iscussions included the ongoing bilateral coordination on addressing China鈥檚 destabilizing actions in the South China Sea and increasing economic cooperation on infrastructure, critical minerals, information technology and energy, including through civil nuclear cooperation,鈥� Bruce said.

Confrontations between China and the Philippines have flared up in recent years in the South China Sea, a major global trade route, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have had overlapping claims for decades.

Romualdez said helping the Philippines stand up to threats to unhindered passage and overflight in the contested waters would benefit the U.S. and other allied and friendly countries, which are strengthening their defense ties with Manila.

“We鈥檙e right in the forefront of this push to make sure that the Indo-Pacific region remains free and clear,鈥� he said.

Trump鈥檚 predecessor, Joe Biden, took steps to strengthen an arc of security alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China鈥檚 assertiveness, including in any future confrontation over self-governed Taiwan.

That has aligned with Marcos鈥� thrust to strengthen his country鈥檚 external defenses to protect the territorial interests of the Philippines in the South China Sea.