Manila, Washington begin talks to increase U.S. troop rotations

MANILA (Reuters) - The United States and the Philippines begin formal negotiations this week to increase rotational presence of U.S. forces in the former U.S. colony, deploying aircraft, ships, supplies and troops for humanitarian and maritime security operations. The widening military cooperation, that includes the use of local bases for temporary deployment, signals rapidly warming security relations between the allies as the Philippines looks to the United States to help counter a newly assertive China. "We stand ready to tap every resource, to call on every...