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MANILA, Philippines (AP) 鈥� U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that the Trump administration would boost military ties with the Philippines to strengthen deterrence against 鈥渢hreats from the communist Chinese鈥� and ensure freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea.

Hegseth spoke during a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Philippines, his first stop in his first trip to Asia to reaffirm Washington鈥檚 鈥渋ronclad鈥� commitment to the region under Trump. Ahead of the visit, China called the United States a 鈥減redator鈥� and an unreliable ally.

Trump鈥檚 鈥淎merica First鈥� foreign policy thrust has triggered concerns in Asia about the scale and depth of U.S. commitment to the region.

Hegseth’s decision to make the Philippines his first stop in Asia, followed by Japan 鈥� both U.S. treaty allies facing territorial disputes with China 鈥� was the strongest assurance yet by the U.S. under Trump to maintain a security presence in the region.

鈥淒eterrence is necessary around the world but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese,鈥� Hegseth told Marcos. 鈥淔riends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there is free navigation whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea.鈥�

“Peace through strength is a very real thing,鈥� Hegseth said. He praised the Philippines for standing 鈥渧ery firm鈥� to defend its interests in the contested waters.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, a major security and global trade route. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the resource-rich and busy waters, but confrontations have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and naval forces in the last two years.

Chinese forces have used powerful water cannons and dangerous maneuvers in the high seas to block what Beijing said were encroachments by Philippine ships into China’s waters. Chinese military aircraft have also approached Philippine patrol planes at alarmingly close distance to drive them away from the Scarborough Shoal, a hotly disputed fishing atoll in the disputed waterway.

Under the previous Biden administration, the U.S. has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to help defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea.

Hegseth echoed that pledge by expressing 鈥渢he ironclad commitment鈥� of Trump and him 鈥渢o the Mutual Defense Treaty and to the partnership.”

Marcos told the U.S. defense chief that by visiting the Philippines first in Asia he 鈥渟ends a very strong message of the commitment of both our countries to continue to work together to maintain the peace in the Indo-Pacific region, within the South China Sea.”

“We have always understood the principle that the greatest force for peace in this part of the world would be the United States,鈥� Marcos said.

Ahead of Hegseth鈥檚 visit, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said China opposes 鈥渋nterference from outside countries鈥� in the South China Sea.

“U.S.-Philippines military cooperation must not harm the security interests of other countries or undermine regional peace and stability,鈥� he said Thursday in a monthly news conference.

He added without elaborating that the United States has 鈥渁n astonishing record of breaking its promises and abandoning its allies鈥� throughout its history.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun separately warned the Philippines in a news conference on Tuesday 鈥渢hat nothing good could come out of opening the door to a predator. Those who willingly serve as chess pieces will be deserted in the end.”

Hegseth鈥檚 visit to the Philippines comes a month before the longtime treaty allies hold the 鈥淏alikatan,鈥� Tagalog for shoulder to shoulder, their largest annual combat exercises that include live-fire drills. Tn recent years, the exercises have been held near the South China Sea and the sea border between the Philippines and Taiwan.

The defense secretary projected composure and camaraderie, as he’s receiving harsh criticism for texting attack plans to a Signal group that included top-level U.S. security officials and the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine.

Clad in a sweatshirt and shorts, he joined American and Filipino forces in physical training, including push-ups, in a gym. He shook hands and posed smiling with military personnel while they flashed the thumbs-up in pictures posted by the U.S. Embassy on X.

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Associated Press journalist Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.