American and Philippine defense secretaries unveiled a task force designed to deter Chinese coercion in the South China Sea and enhance alliance defense cooperation. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro announced “Task Force Philippines” on Friday at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Defense Ministers Meeting Plus in Kuala Lumpur,

Chinese coast guard ships have used powerful water cannons and rammed a Philippine government vessel near Thitu Island in the South China Sea.

The United States and the Philippines have formed a new joint task force to strengthen cooperation and increase military readiness in areas including the South China Sea, the Pentagon said on Friday.The announcement followed a meeting between Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro at a gathering of ASEAN defence ministers in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Philippine forces trained last week to defend Balabac, a strategic island in Palawan that is set to host a new military base dedicated to South China Sea operations. Philippine Marines and Coast Guard special forces held joint maritime boarding operations in the vicinity of Balabac Island,

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Saturday that its forces staged naval and air drills with counterparts from the United States, Australia and New Zealand from Thursday to Friday in the disputed South China Sea.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Southeast Asian nations to stand firm and strengthen their maritime forces to counter China's increasingly "destabilizing" actions in the South China Sea.