Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III left Monday for a seven-day official visit to the United Kingdom and the United States to enhance cooperation with the two countries and seek more foreign investments. “We will examine our present bilateral security ties with the United States to see how we can further strengthen the Philippines' capability as a US ally in maintaining order in the Asia-Pacific region,” Aquino said. He said this issue will be discussed during his meeting with Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, US senators and congressmen in Washington on June 7. Aquino underscored the deeply rooted historical ties between the US and the Philippines, saying the United States is a trusted ally in terms of strengthening national security and promoting social development. Aside from security issues, Aquino said he also intends to discuss with Obama how their two countries could deepen cooperation on trade and investment and science and technology. “We will both look for new approaches to uplift the lives and well being of our countrymen,” he said. Also Sunday, the Malacanang presidential palace confirmed that Aquino met with visiting US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey. Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Dempsey met with the president in Malacanang yesterday morning before Aquino boarded a chartered Philippine Airlines flight to London. Lacierda said the two leaders had a broad discussion on the Scarborough Shoal standoff between the Philippines and China. He, however, added that this “should not be a cause for concern on the part of China.” “China should not be threatened. It's part of calling on a strategic partner,” he added. At the same time, Dempsey expressed his country's commitment to help in peacefully resolving the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. Del Rosario said efforts to address the standoff with China is still a work in progress, adding that Manila is pursuing efforts to try to ease the tensions while looking for a peaceful solution. Dempsey's visit to Manila followed the declaration made by US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta during a summit in Singapore that the United States will shift the majority of its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020 as part of a new strategic focus on Asia. The decision to deploy more ships to the Pacific Ocean, along with expanding a network of military partnerships, was part of a “steady, deliberate” effort to bolster the US role in an area deemed vital to America's future, he said. Meanwhile, Aquino said he would thank British Prime Minister David Cameron for their support to the economic development of the Philippines. Aquino expressed optimism that his visit to the UK and the US would result to a deeper and more timely relationship and cooperation with the two countries. __
