Philippines: Joint Presser Following 2+2 Talks Underway Shortly

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are shortly due to hold a joint press conference with their Philippine counterparts following a 2+2 ministerial session at the US State Department.

• Livestream: https://www.state.gov/
• The 2+2 talks come as the US and Philippines launch their biggest joint military exercises in the exercises in years.
• Nikkei Asia reports that the 18 days maneuvers, known as Balikatan, are the “biggest-ever drills to counter China,” with a reported, “17,600 troops from both countries are taking part in a series of war games until April 28 to enhance their interoperability in areas such as live-fire drills and maritime security.”
• The US State Department: "At the 2+2 Ministerial, Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin will reaffirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to our alliance with the Philippines, which has contributed to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region for more than 70 years. The Ministerial will enable the United States and the Philippines to deepen our bilateral security and economic partnership and strengthen our close collaboration on advancing a free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific region."