Washington DC - The US said Tuesday it has approved a sale of $5.58 billion in F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, as Washington backs its ally in rising tensions over China.

The State Department said it was green-lighting the sale that includes 20 F-16 jets and related equipment to the Philippines, a treaty-bound ally of the US.

The sale will "improve the security of a strategic partner that continues to be an important force for political stability, peace and economic progress in Southeast Asia," a State Department statement said.

The sale will boost "the Philippine Air Force's ability to conduct maritime domain awareness" and "enhance its suppression of enemy air defenses," it said.

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President Donald Trump's administration has sought to redirect US military efforts to Asia to face a rising China, especially as tensions rise over Taiwan, and to lessen involvement in Europe despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Philippines and China have seen months of escalating confrontations in the South China Sea. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.

On a recent visit to Manila, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to "reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region" in light of "threats from the Communist Chinese."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated US defense commitments to the Philippines, a contrast to the Trump administration's frequent talk of "freeloading" off the US by allies in Europe.