US President Joe Biden and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are set to meet on Monday to strengthen one of the oldest alliances in the region that was threatened by a pivot to China under the latter’s predecessor.
Marcos’s first White House visit since he took power last year is expected to lead to broader economic partnerships and even greater defense ties between the two nations against the backdrop of escalating tensions with China over the disputed South China Sea, and more recently over Taiwan.
Biden will reaffirm the United States’ “ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines” when he meets Marcos, according to the White House. In his departure remarks on Sunday, Marcos said he’s “determined to forge an even stronger relationship” with the US as well as “push for greater economic engagement” between the two countries.
Marcos, who met Biden in the US in September on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly, said then that he couldn’t envision his country without America as a partner, setting into motion a restoration of the nations’ ties undermined by ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s shift toward China.
The leaders’ meeting comes as the US accused China at the weekend of harassing Philippine ships after a near collision in the contested waters days ago while Washington and Manila conducted their biggest ever joint defense drills.
Here are the items to watch during Marcos’s official US visit:
Defense
US-Philippine defense ties are expected to be high on the agenda, with Marcos hoping to discuss with Biden how military agreements can “evolve.” The two nations are bound by a 71-year-old mutual defense treaty, to which Biden earlier said the US has an “ironclad” commitment.
The presidents are also expected to highlight the expansion in February of US access to Philippine military sites including areas near Taiwan and the South China Sea —a move criticized by Beijing. America’s pledge of more than $100 million this year for these sites and another $100 million for helicopters are likely up for discussions.
Economic cooperation
Biden and Marcos are also expected to “review opportunities to deepen economic cooperation,” the White House said. The US is the Philippines’ second largest export market last year, next to China.
Manila is pushing for a bilateral free trade agreement with Washington, as well as the removal of import duties. The US wants to secure the Philippines’ support for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, a deal to counter China’s influence in the region.
Clean energy, climate change
Semiconductors, clean energy, food and energy security and climate change are other areas of focus in the US visit, Marcos said Sunday.
The Philippine leader is seeking to attract investors in renewables, as his nation targets a 75 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.