US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to the Philippines this week to meet regional allies, the Pentagon announced on Sunday.
The visit comes amid a push by Washington to tighten security ties in the Indo-Pacific ahead of an expected meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in southern China.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has faced criticism from Democrats and some Republicans over his handling of the war against Iran, as well as concerns that the conflict could divert US attention from the Indo-Pacific region.