US, Philippines hold first security talks

 United States and the Philippines will hold their first bilateral security talks involving foreign affairs and defense chiefs next week.The talks are seen as an attempt to bolster bilateral cooperation in the field of security to counter China's expanding maritime activities.US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland announced the plan at a news conference on Friday. The meeting, known as 2 plus 2, will take place in Washington on Monday.The United States will be represented by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin will join the talks from the Philippines.The Philippines has been exploring cooperation with the United States to strengthen its naval power amid heightened activity by Chinese military and patrol ships in the South China Sea, where it has sovereignty disputes with China. The United States is expected to increase the number of port calls by US military vessels in the Philippines to secure stability in the Asia-Pacific region, which it considers the core of its foreign policy.

The talks are seen as back drop of US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing on May 3-4.
when Hillary Clinton  will be visiting Bangladesh and India from May 5 to May 8. The Secretary will be visiting Kolkata and New Delhi during her trip to India.The visit to New Delhi, a month ahead of the scheduled India-US Strategic Dialogue on June 13, signifies the importance Clinton personally attaches to America's relationship with India.