Many eyes and ears will be zeroing in on the meeting in Washington today between President Joe Biden and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., their second since September last year on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
President Marcos’ official visit comes at a time as the 65-year-old Filipino leader, 15 years Biden’s junior, seeks to bolster bonds with Washington amid growing tensions with Beijing in the disputed South China Sea.
The trip follows Washington’s call on Beijing to stop “provocative and unsafe conduct” in the disputed waterway after a recent near-collision with a Philippine coast guard vessel.
Mr. Marcos has described his meeting with President Biden, a year away from running for re-election, at the White House as “essential to advancing our national interest and strengthening that very important alliance.”
“We will reaffirm our commitment to fostering our long standing alliance as an instrument of peace and as a catalyst of development in the Asia Pacific region,” the President said in a pre-departure statement.
The visit comes just three months after the United States secured access to four key military bases in the Philippines—a deal seen by observers as a major step in Washington’s bid to counter China in the region.
The agreement will add to the five Philippine bases the United States already uses for training and the pre-positioning of equipment.
The visit happens just days after the 2023 repeat of Balikatan, the annual bilateral exercise between Filipino and American troops, was concluded.
Earlier on, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller blasted China over the near collision of one of its coast guard ships with a Philippine patrol boat a week ago, saying it was a reminder of Beijing’s “harassment and intimidation” in the contested waterway.
“We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct,” he said in a statement, adding any attack on Philippine armed forces would trigger a US response.
President Marcos’ meeting with Mr Biden will be followed by an expanded meeting with key Cabinet officials,” according to the Philippine Presidential Communications Office.
“It will substantively progress efforts to further deepen relations and political ties, to bring about lasting socio-economic partnerships, as well as to enhance defense and security cooperation,” Malacañang said.
Topics the two leaders are expected to discuss include agriculture, energy, climate change, digital transformation and technology, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, supply chains, and infrastructure.
“The trip will highlight the steadfast commitment by both sides to be reliable and resilient allies and partners in times of crisis and prosperity, amid a challenging global and regional environment,” Malacanang said.
Whatever will be discussed and agreements signed, allies will be watching and listening intently to the two leaders’ phrasal verbs and full swing.