RP defense officials to China, Vietnam

RP defense officials to China, Vietnam

MANILA (AP): Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado will visit China and military chief Gen. Angelo Reyes will travel to Vietnam for talks that will likely touch on the disputed Spratly islands, officials said on Wednesday.

Mercado said he would leave on Friday for a three day stay in Beijing to meet his Chinese counterpart to discuss common defense concerns that may include the dispute over the islands in the South China Sea.

China, the Philippines and Vietnam, along with Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan, have conflicting claims on the Spratlys, a chain of islands, atolls and reefs believed to be sitting atop vast deposits of oil and gas.

The disputes have periodically strained diplomatic relations. Mercado will also take up possible Chinese participation in a Philippine government program to modernize its military, one of Asia's most ill-equipped.