US May Announce Expanded Access To Military Bases In Philippines This Week

The United States may announce this week that it will expand its access to military bases in the Philippines as part of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's visit to Manila, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing US Defense Department officials.

On January 29, Austin headed to South Korea and the Philippines to meet with senior officials for talks on Indo-Pacific security.

Washington is looking to expand its access to the country's bases in the Philippines with a focus on China due to the changing balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the broadcaster.

In January, media reported that more than 16,000 Philippine and US troops would participate in the annual Balikatan joint military exercises scheduled to take place from April 24-27 in the Philippine city of Laoag.