John Kerry promises US aid to help Philippines protect maritime borders

Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday for a two-day trip that could fast-track a deal on expanding the US military presence as a territorial dispute simmers with China.

Kerry flew to Manila as the two allies are in the final stages of hammering out a deal allowing more US troops, aircraft and ships to temporarily pass through the Philippines, where the last US bases closed in 1992.

He will also visit areas devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan last month, highlighting a massive US humanitarian response to the disaster that contrasted with a modest contribution from regional power China.

“Kerry’s visit can be expected to act as a catalyst for change,” John Blaxland, a security and defence analyst at Australia National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific, said.

“He will be eager to leverage the visit to speed up and finalise arrangements and assure the Philippines and other regional powers that the US is not just a fair-weather friend,” Blaxland said.

Kerry will meet with Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and President Benigno Aquino later on Tuesday to discuss ways for “broadening of economic and security co-operation”, the foreign department said.