The Commander of the United States Armed Forces in the Pacific is in the country for discussions amid China's expansion activities in the South China Sea. "The purpose is to discuss bilateral security concerns and gain a local perspective on the security situation in the Pacific where US troops are deployed ," said AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato. Adm. Harry Harris, commander of the United States Pacific Command (USPacom), will be accorded full military arrival honors before he meets with Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Hernando Iriberri today.

Aurelio, J. (2015, August 26). US Pacific chief to meet PH officials. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A7.