Marcos tells Biden: ‘Only natural for PH to look to US’ amid rising tensions in SCS, Taiwan

From CNN Philippines (May 2, 2023): Marcos tells Biden: ‘Only natural for PH to look to US’ amid rising tensions in SCS, Taiwan (By CNN Philippines Staff)

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 2) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday sought stronger Philippines-United States ties when he met with US President Joe Biden in the White House amid rising tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan.

"There are also issues, geopolitical issues that make the region (where) the Philippines is, possibly, arguably the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world right now," Marcos said in his opening remarks during his second bilateral talks with Biden.

“And so it is only natural…for the Philippines to look to its sole treaty partner in the world, to strengthen and to redefine the relationship that we have and the roles that we play in the face of these tensions that we see now around the South China Sea and the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific region," he added.

Biden reassured the Philippines of the United States’ “ironclad commitment” to defend the Asian country in the event of any conflict in the region.

The American leader said any armed attack against the Philippines would invoke the commitments under the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

In a joint statement, the two nations expressed support for the “right and ability” of Filipinos to sail and fish in the West Philippine Sea, noting the 2016 arbitral ruling that backed the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the contested waters, which China has rejected.

RELATED: Marcos: PH to propose ‘fishing rights map’ to China after near-collision in WPS

Following a near-collision incident involving a Chinese ship and a Philippine coast guard vessel last week, the US government on Saturday urged China to "desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct" in the South China Sea.

China has yet to react to the US’ statement.

RELATED: US urges China to ‘desist from provocative, unsafe conduct’ in SCS

In the joint statement, the Philippines and the US also hit China anew as they stressed the importance of keeping peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, seeing it as “an indispensable element of global security and prosperity.”

The following are some of the initiatives aimed at bolstering security ties between the Philippines and the US.

— Bilateral Defense Guidelines. These seek to institutionalize key bilateral priorities, mechanisms, and processes to strengthen alliance cooperation and interoperability across the land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.

— Modernize and enhance capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The US government has committed to providing the AFP with two Island-class patrol vessels, two Protector-class patrol vessels, and three C-130H aircraft.

— Drive sustainable development and local investments through the sites of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The US government said it has been working with communities in the vicinity of EDCA sites for their development, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.

China has slammed the Philippine government’s decision to open four new EDCA sites in Luzon, warning that the Philippines may be affected by the issue on Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.

Marcos has reiterated that the new EDCA sites were meant to beef up the country’s armed forces. He also said on Sunday that the Philippines will not be used as a “staging post” for any military action.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/5/2/marcos-biden-security-ties-tensions-taiwan.html