US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday vowed military support for the Philippines, delivering a firm message from the deck of an American warship at a time of rising tensions with China. On a steaming hot day on Manila Bay, Clinton boarded the USS Fitzgerald, a US Navy destroyer based in California, as she signed a declaration marking 60 years since the United States signed a security treaty with its former colony. Clinton promised a wide-ranging commitment to the Philippines from military to economic co-operation, saying that the United States wanted to update its historic alliances to meet the “new challenges” of the 21st century. “We must ensure that this alliance remains strong, capable of delivering results for the people of the Philippines and the United States and our neighbours throughout the Pacific,” Clinton said. Speaking later at a news conference, Clinton put the alliance in terms that many Filipinos might better appreciate -- praising boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, affectionately known in his native land as Pacman. “I am a major Pacman fan,” Clinton said. “In the spirit of the sport and his success, let me say, the United States will always be in the corner of the Philippines and we will stand and fight with you.” Clinton only indirectly mentioned China, which the Philippines and Vietnam accuse of increasingly aggressive tactics in the South China Sea, and said that the United States did not take any position on territorial disputes. But Clinton referred to the South China Sea by her hosts’ preferred name -- the West Philippine Sea -- and said that the United States wanted to assist Manila in defending its maritime boundaries. At a later question and answer session with young Filipinos broadcast on national television, Clinton sought to further reassure the Philippines that the United States would not retreat amid China’s growing power in the region. “When we work with China we are very forthright with them in saying where we agree or where we don’t agree,” she said. “It is important for the United States to assert that we are a Pacific power. We are going to be maintaining a strong presence in the Pacific.” AFP