Top Philippine officials fly to US carrier in disputed sea
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Saturday, March 04 2017
AP Photo/Bullit Marquez
AP Photo/Bullit Marquez
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- The Philippine defense chief and two other Cabinet members on Saturday toured a U.S. aircraft carrier patrolling the disputed South China Sea on the invitation of the Navy, U.S. Embassy officials said.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II visited the USS Carl Vinson along with three Philippine security officials, said U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Molly Koscina.
The visit shows continuing top-level engagements between Philippine officials and the U.S. military despite Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's threat to scale back engagements with American forces while reaching out to China and Russia. There was no immediate reaction from China, which had opposed U.S. patrols in waters it has claimed virtually in its entirety.
http://www.wbal.com/article/224133/130/top-philippine-officials-fly-to-us-carrier-in-disputed-sea
