Saying it remained committed to keeping South China Sea peaceful and secure despite recurring irritants involving its neighbors, the Philippines has hailed Australia’s decision to establish an enhanced trilateral security partnership with the United States primarily, and the United Kingdom. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. noted, in a statement released on Tuesday, “an imbalance in the forces available to the Asean member states, with the main balancer more than half a world away,” referring to the United States.

PHL: Australia's ramped-up security role in South China Sea boosts region's security. (2021, September 22). Business Mirror, p. A12.