MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has departed for a four-day visit to the United States (US) to strengthen ties between the two countries amid growing tensions with China in the South China Sea.
The visit follows recent agreements between Manila and Washington to expand their cooperation in strategic areas of the Philippines to counter Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region.
Marcos will meet with US President Joe Biden on Monday at the White House, where they will reaffirm their commitment to fostering their long-standing alliance as an instrument of development and peace in the Asia-Pacific region.
Ahead of the visit, the US State Department called on China to stop “provocative and unsafe conduct” in the contested waters of the South China Sea after a recent near-collision with a vessel of the Philippine coast guard.
Manila has been seeking to strengthen defense ties with the US and has identified four additional military bases to which US forces will have access.
The Philippines’ proximity to crucial sea lanes and Taiwan makes it strategically important. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the whole South China Sea, ignoring an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
Economic cooperation between Philippines and US
During his visit, Marcos will also push for greater economic engagement between the two countries and is expected to meet with US business leaders to promote trade and investment.
He has sought to allay public fears that the alliance with the United States could bring the Philippines into conflict if China were to invade Taiwan, which Beijing considers as its own territory to be reclaimed one day.
Philippine President has said he will speak with Biden about the need to tone down the rhetoric over the South China Sea, Taiwan, and North Korea.
The White House has said that Biden will reaffirm the United States ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines during the meeting with Marcos.
The recent visit by Marcos follows the largest-ever joint military drills between the Philippines and the United States in the South China Sea, which aimed to improve the allies’ ability to respond to crises.
The Philippines has also gravitated towards the United States as it seeks to strengthen its defense ties amid concerns over China’s growing assertiveness in the region. The visit by Marcos is seen as an effort to further strengthen the ties between the two countries in the face of a rising China.
