MANILA — The U.S. military is supporting Philippine operations in the South China Sea via a special task force, a U.
S. embassy official said on Thursday, an initiative Manila said involves intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Task Force-Ayungin, named after the Philippine designation for the contested Second Thomas Shoal, was first mentioned this week by U.
S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a visit to the Philippines. “Task Force-Ayungin enhances U.
S.-Philippine alliance coordination and interoperability by enabling U.S.
forces to support Armed Forces of the Philippines activities in the South China Sea,” said U.S. embassy spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay.
“This initiative aligns with multiple lines of cooperation between U.S. and Philippine forces,” he said, without elaborating on what kind of support the task force provides.
Defense ties between the Philippines and the United States have strengthened rapidly in the past few years, frustrating Beijing, which has a huge presence and vast claims in the South China Sea and sees Washington as an interfering power. The United States says it has legitimate interests in ensuring peace and freedom of navigation in Asia’s most contested waters, through which more than $3 trillion of trade passes each year. U.
S. Indo-Pacific Command and China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the task force. National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said Philippine activities in the.
