The reinvigorated U.S.-Philippines defense alliance will improve the United States' ability to counter China's military maneuvers in nearby waters, but will also exacerbate already rising regional tensions. Following their so-called ''2+2'' meeting in Washington, top foreign policy and defense officials from the United States and the Philippines issued a joint statement on April 11 in which they committed to completing a 10-year roadmap for delivering U.S. military equipment to the Southeast Asian nation, including ''priority defense platforms'' like drones, military transport aircraft and coastal and air defense systems. That same day, the United States and the Philippines also launched their largest and most technologically sophisticated joint military exercises, which are taking place in and around northern Luzon and Palawan, among other places, and will run through April 28. China strongly condemned the developments, with its foreign ministry spokesperson warning that the United States ''must not interfere in South China Sea...
