Philippine defence minister says US alliance needs comprehensive review to address ‘rise of China’

Delfin Lorenzana said the US treaty with Japan, its World War II enemy, was more explicit than its agreement with the Philippines

He said the Manila and Washington should consider revising defence pacts to ensure both could better respond to ‘grey zone threats’

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Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:54pm, 9 Sep 2021Updated: 8:26pm, 9 Sep 2021

Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has called for a comprehensive review of his country’s alliance with the United States, complaining Manila benefits less from its relationship with Washington than non-treaty allies despite growing pressure from China.

At an online event to mark the 70th anniversary of the countries’ mutual defence treaty (MDT) on Wednesday, Lorenzana said there was a need to “upgrade” and “update” the alliance and to make clear the “extent of American commitments”.

“Some questions being asked in Manila are, do we still need the MDT? Should we amend it?” he told Washington’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies, referring to the 1951 pact. “What is clear is that we need a comprehensive review of our alliance.”

Lorenzana, in Washington for meetings with American officials, said the US treaty with Japan, its World War II enemy, was more explicit than that with Manila when determining whether it applied in the Pacific maritime area, where the Philippines has come under increasing pressure from China over rival territorial claims in the South China Sea.

He said this explained why seven out of 10 Filipinos supported President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for engagement with China rather than confrontation and more than half doubted US reliability as an ally in South China Sea disputes.

Lorenzana said US-Philippines relations would “have to evolve in recognition of new geopolitical realities, most especially the rise of China”.

He said the Manila and Washington should consider revising the MDT and other defence pacts to ensure both could better respond to “grey zone threats” like state-sanctioned maritime militia forces that have been intimidating smaller states.