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Pete Hegseth, dogged by scandal at home, pledges US support for Manila against China

The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has met with the Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos, in Manila saying the two countries must stand “shoulder to shoulder” in the face of the threat represented by China.Hegseth’s meeting at the presidential palace comes as he opens a tour of Pacific allies that risks being overshadowed by a mounting scandal over leaked plans for military strikes.“Deterrence is necessary around the world but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the Communist Chinese,” he said.China building ‘counter-stealth’ radar on disputed South China Sea reef, satellite pictures suggestRead moreHegseth said the US was intensifying the partnership with the deployment of advanced capabilities and taking steps to “re-establish” a deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region. The nature of those capabilities was not immediately clear. The US, he said, would also conduct bilateral special operations forces training in Batanes, near Taiwan.The defe…