Nov 18, Kathmandu- Defense chiefs of the United States and the Philippines signed an agreement on sharing classified military information and technology on Monday.

American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the agreement with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro during his visit to Manila, and it is said that President Ferdinand Marcos also participated in this agreement.

Officials said the military information agreement would streamline the sale of technology by allowing the sharing of classified information. Similarly, the Ministry of Defense of the Philippines said that the document is "an important task to increase information sharing between the Philippines and the United States."

The Marcos government has pushed back against Beijing's territorial claims to most of the South China Sea as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to office. China has deployed troops and coast guard ships, rejecting international rulings that have no legal basis for its claims.

Similarly, Manila has said that its ships are under pressure and have no access to water, some rocks and islands. It has been reported that in the last 18 months, many Filipino workers have been injured and their ships have been damaged as a result of violent clashes.

This has raised concerns that the United States could end up in an armed conflict because of its mutual defense treaty with the Philippines. The Philippine Defense Ministry said Austin would visit the western island of Palawan on Tuesday and meet with Philippine forces responsible for patrolling and defending the South China Sea.