US Vice President Kamala Harris assured Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos of her country’s unwavering commitment to his country during the visit to counter the expansion of China’s influence and strengthen relations between the two sides.
During a meeting with Marcos, she indicated that “any attack on the Philippine military, or ships or aircraft in the South China Sea, will activate the joint defense commitments of the United States … This is our firm commitment to the Philippines”, stressing that “we support you in protection of international rules and regulations relating to the South China Sea.
For his part, Marcos said he “sees no future for the Philippines other than the United States.”
Notably, Harris is the highest-ranking US official to visit Manila since Marcos was elected in June, signaling a growing rapprochement between the two allies after years of tension under former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is close to Beijing.
The United States has a long and complicated relationship with the Philippines and with the Marcos family, whose father ruled the former American colony for two decades with the backing of Washington, who saw him as an ally during the Cold War.
Relations between the two countries were strained during Duterte’s rule. In 2016, Duterte called former President Barack Obama a “son of a whore” after warnings that Obama would question him about the drug war scandal.
Washington is now seeking to strengthen its security alliance with Manila under a new president.
This includes the Mutual Defense Treaty and the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, known as EDCA, which allows the US military to store defense equipment and supplies at five Philippine bases. It also allows the US military to rotate at these military bases.
The agreement stalled during the Duterte era, but the United States and the Philippines have pledged to accelerate its implementation in the face of rising Chinese influence.
On Tuesday, Harris will travel to Palawan Island in the South China Sea, where China has territorial disputes with the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Source: AFP