The Wall Street Journal reports that “the Philippines’ top court cleared the way for U.S. troops to deploy to the Southeast Asian country, approving a contested defense pact that stands to enhance American power in the region at a time when China is asserting itself more forcefully.”  

“Tuesday’s ruling ended months of speculation about the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, designed to revitalize the 65-year-old U.S.-Philippine alliance two decades after American forces pulled out of the country. The 2014 pact had been stalled for nearly two years by a legal challenge.”  

“The Supreme Court’s 10-4 decision came hours before U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Secretary of State John Kerry held security talks with their Philippine counterparts Voltaire Gazmin and Albert Del Rosario in Washington.”