Manila to get $500m military funding

The United States will provide $500 million in military funding to the Philippines, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday, as Washington boosts ties with Manila in the face of China's growing assertiveness.

Blinken was in Manila with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as part of an Asia-Pacific tour to strengthen Washington's latticework of alliances aimed at countering Beijing.

"We're now allocating an additional $500 million in foreign military financing to the Philippines to boost security collaboration with our oldest treaty ally in this region," Blinken told a joint news conference.

Blinken described it as a "once in a generation investment" to help modernise the Philippine armed forces and coast guard.

"We're building on a lot of progress the Philippines has already made to be better positioned to defend their sovereignty. That is what this is about."