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... The sale, greenlit by the State Department last week, adds another layer to rising U.S.-China tensions in the western Pacific. China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea and has accused the Philippines -- a U.S. treaty ally -- of acting as a proxy in American efforts to contain its influence.

The Philippine government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has made closer defense ties with Washington a central focus of its foreign policy, committing to spend $35 billion over the next decade to upgrade its military. The F-16s would be the most expensive arms purchase ever for the Philippines and their acquisition would build on the deepening bilateral partnership between Manila and Washington, which includes expanded U.S. access at bases and joint exercises. ...