Manila, Philippines - Continuing their whirlwind tour of Asia, the US' secretaries of state and defense have met with counterparts in the Philippines for high-stakes talks on security matters surrounding China.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin jointly met with their counterparts in the Philippines for talks which focused on recent tensions with China in the South China Sea.

In Manila, the US diplomats have announced $500 million in military funding for the Philippines, with the goal to specifically improve Filipino defense and intelligence abilities.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed his gratitude that the communications lines are "very open" between the US and Philippines, and said that the relationship makes them "agile" in their response.

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According to Blinken, there was "evidence of a steady drumbeat, very high-level engagements between our countries that are covering the full range of issues and opportunities that bring us together, not only security but also economic."

Just last week, China and the Philippines reached an uncertain agreement around the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. Under the "provisional arrangement," Beijing agreed to allow Manila to resupply a naval ship that has been grounded on the shoal since the 1990s.

US representatives have since been on a whirlwind tour of the region, beginning with Blinken's meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and continuing with meetings in Japan that also focused on how to combat the "coercive behavior" of China.

In response to the meeting with Secretaries Blinken and Austin, as well as the funding commitment, President Marcos Jr. claimed that US military presence helped bring regional stability.

In a joint press conference, Blinken said US commitments are "building on the progress that the Philippines has already made to be in a better position to protect their sovereignty."

Specifically, the $500 million in aid will be used to improve the Filipino coast guard and help the country transition into focusing on external defense.

Blinken then went on to reference Taiwan, saying, "both of us... are determined that we see the status quo maintained, that we preserve peace and stability, that's where our focus is."

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The secretary of state also reaffirmed the US' commitment to the mutual defense treaty between the two countries. In response, the Philippines' Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo touted the US-Filipino relationship.

"The Philippine-US alliance and friendship has withstood the test of time. We've officially been partners for seven decades, but it even goes beyond that," Manalo said.

"In all those years, our relationship has held firmly and in fact has only grown more productive... Now, in fact, we could even say that the relationship is at a high point."