WASHINGTON:  , The United States said Tuesday ( Apr 1 ) it has approved a sale of US$ 5.58 billion in F-16 fighter-jets to the Philippines, as Washington backs its ally in rising tensions over China.
The State Department said it was green-lighting the price that includes 20 F-16 planes and associated equipment to the Philippines, a treaty-bound supporter of the United States.
The price may “improve the protection of a corporate lover that continues to be an important push for democratic stability, peace and economic progress in Southeast Asia”, a State Department statement said.
The price will boost” the Philippine Air Force’s ability to conduct maritime site attention” and “enhance its suppression of army atmosphere defenses”, it said.
President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to divert US military attempts to Asia to experience a rising China, particularly as tensions rise over Taiwan, and to reduce presence in Europe despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Philippines and China have seen months of escalating confrontations in the South China Sea. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.