News brief

U.S. and Philippines sign military pact. The United States and the Philippines have signed an agreement to secure the exchange of highly confidential military intelligence and technology in key weapons the U.S. would provide to the Philippines capital Manila. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, signed the legally binding General Security of Military Information Agreement on Nov. 18. The outgoing Biden administration has taken steps to strengthen an arc of military alliances across the Indo-Pacific region to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan or in the disputed South China Sea.

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