US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III is scheduled to visit the Philippines next week amid what seems like a whole-of-government effort by newly elected US President Donald Trump based on announcements from the US Embassy in Manila and the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND).
Secretary Austin will meet with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. during a farewell tour that features meetings with key defense officials in the Indo-Pacific region.
This is Secretary Austin’s fourth visit to the Philippines since he took leadership under outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden. Other countries that Austin will be visiting include Laos, Fiji, and Australia.
The visit comes ahead of Trump’s expected appointment of a new defense chief in early 2025, before his official inauguration in January.
Austin is expected to reassure the two countries’ defense partnership and underpin security cooperation as a crucial factor in the Indo-Pacific.
