The United States has an obligationsteadfastTowards the Philippines, US Vice President Kamala Harris told the archipelago’s president on Monday, November 21, during a visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two allies in the face of China.
Kamala Harris is the highest-ranking US official to visit Manila since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. came to power in June. The visit marks a rapprochement between the two allies after years of strained relations under the presidency. Most favorable to Beijing is Rodrigo Duterte. . The vice president also met his Filipino counterpart Sara Duterte, the daughter of the former leader.
“Mutual protection”.
“We stand with you to uphold international rules and standards in the South China SeaKamala Harris told Ferdinand Marcos at the start of their talks at the Presidential Palace in Manila. “An attack on Philippine armed forces, government ships or aircraft in the South China Sea would trigger a Mutual Defense Obligation…this is our unwavering commitment to the Philippines.“.
Ferdinand Marcos, for his part, said that he did not consider “The future of the Philippines without the United States“. Washington has had a long and complicated relationship with the Marcos family. Dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the current president’s father, ruled the former American colony for two decades with the support of Washington, which saw him as an ally against the Communist bloc during the Cold War.
military bases
Since the new head of state came to power, Washington has sought to strengthen its alliance with Manila amid rising regional tensions. This alliance includes a 2014 defense agreement and an agreement known as EDCA that allows the US military to store defense equipment and supplies at multiple bases in the Philippines. Under this agreement, US troops can access five military bases in the archipelago.
While the treaty stalled under Duterte, the United States and the Philippines have pledged to speed up its implementation. “We have identified new locations and are in the process of finalizing them with the PhilippinesA US official told reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of Kamala Harris’ visit to Manila. “The US has committed more than $82 million for operations (to existing bases) and more will follow“, he added.
The US vice president will also meet with the Philippine Coast Guard and on Tuesday travel to the island of Palawan, which faces the hotly contested waters of the South China Sea. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire sea, parts of which are claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
“I do not mind”
Answering the question about the visit of Kamala Harris on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning replied:does not oppose trade between the US and countries in the region“. “But these exchanges should contribute to regional peace and stability and should not harm the interests of other countries.“, he emphasized during the regular press conference.
Beijing is ignoring a 2016 arbitration court ruling that its claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis. Kamala Harris”reaffirm the strength of the alliance and our commitment to uphold the rules-based international order in the South China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific region.said the US official, referring to the Asia-Pacific region.
The trip comes after he and US President Joe Biden met separately with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. Among the initiatives planned during this visit are negotiations on a civil nuclear treaty between the two countries, which could lead to the sale of American nuclear reactors to the Philippines, but which must be preceded by a nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Source: Le Figaro
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