Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with US President Joe Biden on Monday to enhance the alliance between Manila and Washington. Before leaving for his four-day official visit to the US, Marcos expressed his determination to forge a stronger relationship with the United States to address the concerns of their times, including issues related to the economy.
First Visit in Over 10 Years
Marcos’ official visit to Washington is the first by a Philippine president in over a decade and the latest in a series of high-level meetings between the Philippines, the US, and China, which are jostling for strategic advantage in the region.
Greater Business Engagement and Military Enhancements
Biden and Marcos are expected to reach agreements on greater business engagement, as well as military enhancements amid shared concerns about China. The US sees the Philippines as a potential location for rockets, missiles, and artillery systems to counter a Chinese amphibious invasion of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
Efforts to Build Alliance Management Habits
The two sides agreed to complete a roadmap in the coming months for the delivery of US defense assistance to the Southeast Asian nation over the next five to ten years. Alluding to the difficult period in bilateral relations under Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, the official said Monday’s summit would be part of efforts to build the “habits of alliance management” back to levels of the 1970s and 1980s.
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