Philippines says Beijing main hurdle to South China Sea code of conduct

Philippines defence chief backs US calls for higher military spending, says allies must pull their weight

Philippine Defence Secretary Teodoro endorsed US calls for 3.5% GDP defence spending at the Shangri-La Dialogue, framing it as a consensus among defence ministers, not a unilateral American demand. For defence-tech and dual-use vendors, the signal is clear: Southeast Asian procurement cycles are accelerating, with modernisation and deterrence capabilities — including technology-transfer deals — taking priority over raw budget headcount.