Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured the Philippines on Saturday that the United States will come to its defense in the event of an attack in the South China Sea, seeking to alleviate concerns about the extension of the US commitment to a defense treaty. mutual.
In meetings in Manila dominated by discussions of US-China tensions over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Blinken said the 70-year-old defense pact with the Philippines was “tough”.
“An armed attack on the Philippine armed forces, vessels and aircraft will invoke the US mutual defense commitments under this treaty,” Blinken told a news conference. “The Philippines is an irreplaceable friend, partner and ally of the United States.”
Blinken was the highest-ranking U.S. official to meet the new Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of the late dictator Washington helped flee to Hawaii during a 1986 “people power” uprising that ended his two-decade rule.
In his opening speech, Marcos sought to minimize the diplomatic crisis over Taiwan and said he believed Pelosi’s trip “did not increase the intensity” of an already volatile situation. “We’ve been at this level for a long time, but we’ve gotten used to the idea,” said Marcos.
The Philippines is an important part of the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China, and Marcos faces a difficult challenge to balance ties between the two great powers.
US-Philippines ties have been shaken by predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s overtures toward China, his famous anti-American rhetoric and threats to downgrade his military ties.
On Saturday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said President Joe Biden had invited Marcos to Washington, and both sides were working on a suitable date.
Manalo said Washington was an important ally, but on Taiwan, he told Blinken that the Philippines “looks to great powers to help calm the waters.” “We cannot afford any further escalation of tensions,” he said.
Source: CNN Brasil
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