Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected Monday to press President Biden on U.S. commitments to defend the island nation and bolster their economic alliances as China flexes its muscle on his doorstep in the South China Sea.
The White House said it invited Mr. Marcos for bilateral meetings in Washington to reaffirm its “ironclad commitment” to the Philippines. But Mr. Marcos will be looking for specifics.
Days before the trip, Mr. Marcos said in a radio interview that the Mutual Defense Treaty “needs to adjust because of the changes in the situation we are facing in the South China Sea, Taiwan, North Korea.”
“This situation is heating up,” he said.
The Philippines recently granted the U.S. access to additional military bases and the nations conducted their largest-ever joint military exercises in recent days, even firing on a mock enemy ship in the South China Sea.
Mr. Marcos will seek assurances from Mr. Biden as China creates artificial islands and beefs up its military presence around Taiwan, which it considers a breakaway province.
Earlier in April the Philippines identified four additional military bases on its land that the U.S. could access, sparking a sharp rebuke from Beijing.
China’s ambassador to the Philippines accused Manila of “stoking the fire” of regional tensions by allowing the U.S. to access the bases.
The Philippines — particularly its upper islands in the Batanes — is right next door to Taiwan, making the situation a fraught one for the former U.S. colony. China is the country’s largest trading partner, making walking a tightrope between Washington and Beijing even more difficult.
Mr. Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, sought to create distance between his country and the U.S. while trying to improve his relationship with Beijing. But Mr. Marcos has taken a different path. His White House visit will be his second trip to the U.S. in less than a year.
“While the Duterte years saw the very foundations of the [U.S.] alliance – the Mutual Defense Treaty and Visiting Forces Agreement — become political targets, Marcos has made clear that the alliance is on firm ground under his administration,” said Brian Harding, a senior expert on Southeast Asia and Pacific islands at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Earlier in April, a Chinese Coast Guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel in the South China Sea, nearly causing a collision.
Mr. Harding said the Philippines’ military alliance with the U.S. is its most important leverage to deter Chinese aggression.
“While the Philippines would prefer to be able to deter China unilaterally and is seeking to develop a more credible defense posture for itself, the reality is its greatest asset is the security guarantee under the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States and U.S. commitment to abide by the treaty,” he said.
Mr. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke last year, but there’s been relatively little direct communication amid rising tensions over the war in Russia and growing concern about spying and the Chinese-owned app, TikTok, which is popular with American youth.
The U.S. accused China of floating a spy balloon over the continental U.S., forcing Secretary of State Antony Blinken to scrap a planned trip to smooth things over with Beijing.
With tensions rising in South Asia, Mr. Marcos will demand clarity.
“What is our partnership [with the U.S.]? What can be done to tone down or reduce rhetoric? Because there have been an exchange of heated words,” Mr. Marcos said in his recent interview.
The Biden administration in recent days has deployed rhetoric that suggests it would like to tone things down, too.
“Both countries need to be able to frankly discuss difficult issues and we should work together when possible for the benefits of our countries and the world,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a major speech on U.S.-China relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Mr. Biden, speaking during a state visit last week by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, said his efforts to spur U.S. semiconductor manufacturing should not be interpreted as a swipe at Beijing.
“We’re rebuilding the economy of the United States with those semiconductors. It’s not designed to hurt China,” Mr. Biden said.
Still, the state visit was an unmistakable sign the U.S. is drawing closer to allies in the Indo-Pacific region to repel aggressive nations.
“The U.S. and the Republic of Korea need each other more than ever. As we continue to compete with China, the Republic of Korea is among our closest partners,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer. “And as we confront a belligerent North Korea, we must work with the Republic of Korea for our mutual safety.”
Mr. Marcos will be looking for similar assurances when the White House rolls out the welcome mat on Monday.
Mr. Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin set the table for the Marcos-Biden talks by meeting with their Philippine counterparts earlier in April.
Mr. Blinken said they “reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to standing with the Philippines against any intimidation or coercion, including in the South China Sea, and to preserving a region that’s governed by international law where goods and ideas and people can move freely.”
Similarly, Mr. Biden plans to reassert an “ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines, and the leaders will discuss efforts to strengthen the longstanding U.S.-Philippines alliance,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
They will discuss economic cooperation, human rights, clean energy, and climate change, she said.
She said the leaders “will also discuss regional matters and coordinate on efforts to uphold international law and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.