US announces $500 million in funding for Philippines over China threat

The United States announced $500 million in military funding for the Philippines on Tuesday to modernize the country’s armed forces in what Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a “once-in-a-generation investment.”

Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with their Filipino counterparts, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr., in Manila on Tuesday, where they announced new updates to the alliance. They also met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.