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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos, Biden affirm 'ironclad' alliance during White House meet

Marcos, Biden affirm 'ironclad' alliance during White House meet

Published May 2, 2023 12:41 am
WASHINGTON, D.C.— As President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. sought to redefine the Philippines and United States (US) relationship amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, US President Joe Biden said the US maintains its "ironclad" commitment to the Philippines' defense and security efforts. (From left) President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and US President Joe Biden during the bilateral meeting at the Oval Office inside the White House in Washington D.C. on May 1, 2023. (KJ Rosales/PPA POOL)
Marcos and Biden met at the White House on Monday afternoon, May 1 (US time). It was the first visit of a Philippine president to the White House in many years. Marcos has been constantly saying that the situation in the region was  changing, thus, the need to evolve the current Mutual Defense Treaty between both countries. The President was finally able to raise this, personally, to Biden. He told Biden that the Philippines found itself in "arguably the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world right now." "And so it is only natural that — 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," Marcos said in his opening statement. Marcos further told the US President that there were many new issues that need to be assessed. "And again our role as partners in the world— in our worldview of what we are hoping for the future of peace, not only in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific region but in the whole world," he said. Biden, on the other hand, said Washington remains “ironclad in our commitment to the defense of the Philippines, including the South China Sea and we’re gonna continue [supporting] the Philippines’ military modernization.” “Our countries not only share strong partnership. We share deep friendship, one that has been enriched by millions of Filipino-Americans and the communities all across the United States,” Biden added. This was Marcos' and Biden's second in-person bilateral meeting. They first met on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last September 2022 in New York.

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US-PH alliance Joe Biden Mutual Defense Treaty United States South China Sea President Marcos
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