US secures access to more Philippine military bases around South China Sea to counter Beijing

Washington will now have access to nine military bases in The Philippines

The Philippines and the US have agreed to expand their defence pact by allowing Washington to access four more military bases around the South China Sea as it looks to counter China's growing aggression in the region.

The announcement comes as Washington opened an embassy in the Solomon Islands on Thursday to counter Beijing in the Pacific waters.

The US would be given access to the military bases under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), defence chief Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart Carlito Galvez said in a joint news conference on Thursday.