Philippines Gains US Ship in Military Upgrade
Local Editor
The Philippines took possession of a former US Coast Guard ship on Tuesday in a step to counter China over the disputed South China Sea.
The step is likely to add tension over the disputed South China Sea that has threatened to draw in the United States as it refocuses its military attention on Asia.
The Philippines's President Benigno Aquino won congressional approval to extend the plan 15 years and spend $1.7 billion to upgrade the military over the next five years, helped by robust economic growth that hit 7.8% in the first quarter this year, the fastest in Asia.
China, Taiwan and Vietnam claim the entire South China Sea while Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines have partial claims on areas believed to have rich deposits of oil and natural gas.
Source: News Agencies, edited by website team
Comments
- Related News
