Esper said that when he visited the Philippines last November he thought the relationship was on a strong footing. Protests against the U.S. military presence in the Philippines have flared up occasionally, including in Manila in May 2018. The VFA accord legally allows the entry of large numbers of American forces along with U.S. military ships and aircraft for joint training with Filipino troops. U.S. military forces are seen aboard Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) in the South China Sea in a Philippines-U.S. amphibious landing exercise in 2016. China, the Philippines, Vietnam and three other governments have rival claims in the strategic waterway.

Source: CBC News February 11, 2020 14:03 UTC