MANILA, April 11 (Reuters) - The Philippine defence chief
discussed the situation in the South China Sea with his U.S.
counterpart in a telephone conference on Sunday, and said both
sides were looking forward to conducting a joint military
exercise called "Balikatan".
They also discussed recent developments in regional
security, according to a statement issued by Philippine Defence
Secretary Delfin Lorenzana's department. The U.S. Defence
Secretary Lloyd Austin III reiterated the importance of the two
countries' Visiting Forces Agreement.