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News > World

Southeast Asian Countries Worried About the US Selling Weapons

  • During the Specia Summit of the US-ASEAN, President Biden committed to strengthening security cooperation. May. 20, 2022.

    During the Specia Summit of the US-ASEAN, President Biden committed to strengthening security cooperation. May. 20, 2022. | Photo: Twitter/@Diplomat_APAC

Published 20 May 2022
Opinion

Last week the U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit was celebrated, where Joe Biden, U.S. President committed to strengthening security cooperation with Southeast Asian countries.

After the closure of the U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit last week, U.S. President Joe Biden has committed to Southeast Asian countries in terms of strengthening security cooperation, statements which they consider lack sincerity.

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The U.S.' so-called security cooperation has represented a heavy toll on Southeast Asian countries in past years, particularly in the scenario where the U.S. has sold second-hand weapons. In this regard, the White House's statement seems to lack sincerity and actions.

After analysis carried out by South Asian countries, the community has warned of the great danger that this "costly trap" could represent in such procurement, calling to avoid an over-dependence on a single military equipment supplier.

Regarding some tragedies caused by some second-hand weapons, it is the one related to the Philippines' contracts procurement contracts with U.S. companies, considered as the deadliest PAF plane crash, the crash of the 33-year-old second-hand C-130 Hercules built by the U.S. firm Lockheed. Some media has revealed that before being sold to the PAF in January 2021, the C-130 Hercules NR 5125 first flew in 1988 and had served in U.S. Air Force until it was put in storage in 2016.

In February during a handover ceremony, the U.S handed the plane to the Philippines calling it security cooperation.

According to Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the country had only paid 32.57 million U.S. dollars out of the total cost of 50.89 million dollars. Washington said that they would shoulder the remaining cost.

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