Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the latter’s home country on Friday to discuss strategic enhancements to geopolitical security against China’s aggression and to protect universal navigation rights in the South China Sea for all countries.

Hegseth called for the countries to stand “shoulder to shoulder” in collaborative efforts against China, according to reports. He called to present a united front against Chinese threats and stressed the importance of deterrence.

“Peace through strength is a very real thing,” Hegseth emphasized. 

Tensions between the Philippines and China have increased in recent years, specifically over passage through the South China Sea. China claims authority over the body of water and has used its navy to enforce control in the area, the Associated Press reported. 

“Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese and that friends need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there’s free navigation,” Hegseth said. “Whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea, we recognize that your country has [to] stand very firm in that location and in defense of your nation.”

Hostile interactions and confrontations between the Philippine and Chinese forces have increased in recent years, with the communist country using high-powered water cannons and other aggressive military tactics against Philippine ships that ventured into the South China Sea, according to the Associated Press.

Hegseth acknowledged the challenges Marcos’s country faces with China and emphasized U.S. commitment to its Asian ally, highlighting the “ironclad” commitment by the United States to protect the region and the Mutual Defense Treaty between the countries.  

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Marcos categorized Hegseth’s visit to the country as sending a “very strong message of the commitment of both our countries to continue to work together to maintain the peace in the Indo-Pacific region, within the South China Sea.”

“We have always understood the principle that the greatest force for peace in this part of the world would be the United States,” Marcos said.