Biden, Marcos Meet to Discuss West Philippine Sea Situation

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and United States President Joe Biden met on Monday at The Oval Office to discuss the countries’ longstanding alliance and partnership, and how to strengthen it amid growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Both leaders placed great importance on promoting peace and stability in the region, emphasizing heavily in the South China Sea, where China has become increasingly assertive in its territorial claims.

Marcos Jr. highlighted the complicated geopolitical situation in the Philippines.

“Possibly, arguably the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world right now,” Marcos Jr. said of the geopolitical landscape that the country is facing amid concerns about the South China Sea and the tensions between China and Taiwan just north of the Philippines.

Marcos Jr. also emphasized the need for the Philippines to look to its “sole treaty partner” to strengthen their relationship and redefine their roles in the face of these tensions.

Biden reassured Marcos Jr. of the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines, including in the West Philippine Sea, and pledged to continue supporting the modernization of the Philippine military.

He also emphasized the deep friendship shared by the two countries, enriched by millions of Filipino-Americans and communities across the US.

The meeting between the two leaders comes as the Philippines and the US seek to expand their cooperation in strategic areas to counter China’s growing assertiveness, including its construction of bases in the South China Sea and its continuous threats to Taiwan.

The two countries are also in the process of repairing stained diplomatic relations that were caused by the Duterte administration as the previous government took the risk to lean more on China and Russia in hopes of less tensions in the South China Sea, to no avail.

Just this February, both countries agreed to expand their cooperation in these areas, and in April, the Philippines announced four new sites for the US military to use under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

The meeting also comes as tensions in the South China Sea have continued to escalate.

The latest escalation took place on April 23, when a Chinese coast guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel from entering the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, the latest incident in a series of confrontations between the two countries in the region.

China’s expansionist activities in the South China Sea have led to numerous incidents and confrontations, with the Philippines filing more than 200 diplomatic protests against China since last year, including at least 77 since Marcos took office in June. (GFB)