Manila, May 30 -- The Philippines and the United States will strengthen defense cooperation to boost deterrence along the First Island Chain (FIC), US Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday, upon meeting Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

The two defense secretaries met on the sidelines of the 2026 IISS Shangri-La Security Dialogue in Singapore, where Hegseth said America would push for a "stable equilibrium" where "no state, including China, can impose its hegemony" in the region.

"Honored to meet Secretary Teodoro for the fifth time as we bolster defense cooperation along the First Island Chain - backed by our most advanced-ever Balikatan exercise and a Coast Guard cutter transfer," he said.

"We continue to put...