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Updated Saturday, June 25, 2011 11:39 pm TWN, WASHINGTON/BEIJING, AFP and AP



	U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Philippine's Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario at the State Department in Washington on Thursday, June 23. (AP) Enlarge Photo

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US 'committed' to Philippines defense: Clinton

WASHINGTON/BEIJING -- The United States said Thursday it was ready to provide hardware to modernize the military of the Philippines, which vowed to “stand up to any aggressive action” amid rising tension at sea with China.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, on a visit to Washington, said the Philippines hoped to lease equipment to upgrade its fleet and called for the allies to revamp their relationship in light of the friction with China.

“We are determined and committed to supporting the defense of the Philippines,” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a joint news conference when asked about the hardware wish-list from the Philippines.

Clinton said the two nations were working “to determine what the additional assets that the Philippines needs are and how we can best provide them.” She said del Rosario would meet U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other Pentagon officials.

Tensions in the strategic and resource-rich South China Sea have escalated in recent weeks, with the Philippines and Vietnam alarmed at what they say are increasingly aggressive actions by Beijing in the disputed waters.

“We are concerned that recent incidents in the South China Sea could undermine peace and stability,” Clinton told reporters, urging “all sides to exercise self-restraint.”

Del Rosario, with Clinton at his side, said: “While we are a small country, we are prepared to do what is necessary to stand up to any aggressive action in our backyard.”

The Philippines has announced the deployment in disputed waters of its navy flagship, the Rajah Humabon. One of the world's oldest warships, the Rajah Humabon was a former U.S. Navy frigate that served during World War II.

The Philippines has historically bought second-hand hardware, but del Rosario said that President Benigno Aquino has allocated 11 billion pesos (US$252 million) to upgrade the navy.

Shortly ahead of his talks with Clinton, del Rosario said that the Philippines was asking the United States for “an operational lease so that we can look at fairly new equipment and be able to get our hands on that quickly.”

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