President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s working visit to the United States to meet with President Joe Biden is significant in a lot of ways. It augurs well for two nations that have seemingly drifted apart due to current geopolitical realities.
The US-Philippines alliance is based on shared values and interests, and both nations need to work together to address the challenges and opportunities that they face in the Asia-Pacific region. Marcos’s working visit serves as an opportunity to strengthen this alliance and ensure that it continues to serve the interests of both nations in the years ahead.
The relationship has been one of the most enduring and important alliances in the Asia-Pacific region.
It has been built on a foundation of shared values and interests, including the promotion of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The alliance has been strengthened by a mutual commitment to security, economic cooperation and people-to-people ties.
The US-Philippines defense treaty, also known as the Mutual Defense Treaty or MDT, was signed in 1951 and has served as the bedrock of the alliance. The MDT commits both nations to come to each other’s defense in the event of an attack by a third party. The MDT had been tested in the past, notably during the Vietnam War and in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks.
In recent years, however, the US-Philippines alliance has faced challenges. One of the most significant challenges has been China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea. China’s territorial claims in the region have overlapped with Philippine waters, leading to tensions and disputes between the two nations. The Philippines has looked to the US for support in its dispute with China, including through joint military exercises and diplomatic efforts.
In this context, Marcos has advocated for closer ties with the US. He has called for a review of the US-Philippines defense treaty, arguing that it needs to be updated to reflect current geopolitical realities.
During his meeting with President Biden, Marcos made the case for a stronger US commitment to the Philippines in the face of China’s assertiveness. He argued that the US needs to provide greater military and diplomatic support to the Philippines to ensure that it can defend its territorial integrity and uphold its sovereignty.
It’s so reassuring that Biden obliged, stressing in his one-on-one talk with Marcos that the United States is committed to fulfilling its treaty obligations in case of an armed attack on the country or any of its vessels in the Pacific Ocean and West Philippine Sea.
Marcos, we believe, could also seek to address some of the concerns that have been raised by some critics who have argued that the alliance has been too focused on security issues and has neglected economic and social development in the Philippines.
Marcos, before he left for Washington, said he would suggest ways by which the alliance could be broadened to include greater economic and social cooperation.
This could include trade agreements that could help increase the flow of goods and services between the two countries. It could also involve infrastructure investment that the Philippines badly needs.
Being vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, Marcos could take the opportunity to ask for US help in developing and implementing strategies for adaptation and mitigation.
While at it, the two countries could also develop programs that would facilitate the exchange of students and scholars. This could help foster greater cultural understanding and knowledge sharing.
Ultimately, Marcos’s working visit to the US would have to be viewed in the context of the larger picture, with or without China in it.