Pentagon announces joint task force with the Philippines for areas that include South China Sea

The Pentagon on Friday announced that it has created a joint military task force with the Philippines, which will boost military readiness in areas like the South China Sea.

The announcement comes the same day War Secretary Pete Hegseth met with his counterpart, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, for a gathering of ASEAN defense ministers.

The secretary also met with China's Minister of National Defense Dong Jun, where he raised concern about China's actions towards the United States' allies in the region, including the Philippines and Australia.

War Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said the task force "will increase operational cooperation, improve combined planning, and enhance interoperability, particularly in the South China Sea," according to Reuters.

The Philippine secretary and Hegseth also "shared their determination to re-establish deterrence in the region," during the meeting, and announced the completion of a plan to modernize the defense partnership.

The meeting also comes after President Donald Trump toured Asia this past week to meet with leaders in Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. Trump also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.