President Joe Biden reiterated the US commitment to the Philippines’ security and noted the “deep friendship” of the two nations as he hosted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for White House talks on Monday as concerns grow about the Chinese navy’s harassment of Philippine vessels in the South China Sea.
Marcos’ visit to Washington comes after the US and the Philippines last week completed their largest war drills ever and as the two countries air forces will hold their first joint fighter jet training in the Philippines since 1990. The Philippines this year agreed to give the US access to four more bases on the islands as the U.S. looks to deter China’s increasingly aggressive actions towards Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea.
Meanwhile, China has angered the Philippines by repeatedly harassing its navy and coast guard patrols and chasing away fishermen in waters that are close to Philippine shores but that Beijing claims as its own. But as Biden sat down with Marcos, the US president went out of his way to note the progress in the US-Philippine relationship, one that has had ups and downs over the years and was in a difficult place when Marcos took office less than a year ago.
Marcos said the relationship was essential as the Philippines and the Pacific find themselves in “possibly the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world right now.” Monday’s Oval Office meeting is the latest high-level diplomacy with Pacific leaders by Biden as his administration contends with increased military and economic assertiveness by China and worries about North Korea’s nuclear programme. Marcos’ official visit to Washington is the first by a Philippine president in more than 10 years.
Following the meeting, the White House announced the transfer of three C-130 aircraft and two coastal patrol vessels to the Philippines. The two countries also said they adopted defence guidelines aimed at deepening cooperation and interoperability between the two nations’ militaries across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. The administration also said it is launching a new trade mission focused on increasing American investment in the Philippines’ innovation economy, new educational programming, and more.