PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. said he and American Vice President Kamala Harris are expected to talked about how relations between the Philippines and the United States would “continue to evolve,” along with the expectations of both countries amid developments around the world.
“I have always said that the relationship between the United States and the Philippines must continue to evolve, and it will be that. Well, things have changed. How do we, what will the United States do in response, and what do they expect from their partners in the region,” the President said in a media interview in Thailand before returning to Manila on Saturday when asked about the topics for discussion or issues that will be raised when he and Harris meet today, Monday.
“When it comes to the security and defense in the Asia Pacific, it really has to be, it really has to be a joint response. I don’t think a single country should, I don’t think any single country should do it alone. I think we will do much better if we respond as a group, and I think the other countries agree,” he added.
Harris was scheduled to arrive in Manila last night after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Thailand.
She is set to meet with Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte today and visit Palawan tomorrow, Tuesday. Palawan is one of the country’s provinces closest to the disputed West Philippine Sea/South China Sea.
The President said he does not see any problem with Harris’ visit to Palawan, nor any possible tension that should arise with China, since the US official is visiting a province that is very much within the territory of the Philippines.
“I don’t see why they should (cause tension). She is in the Philippines and she is visiting another part of the Philippines. And, of course, it is the closest area to the South China Sea, but it’s very clearly on Philippine territory. So, I don’t think there should be, I don’t think it will cause problems,” Marcos said.
The Philippines, China and several countries have overlapping claims in parts of the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea.
In 2016, the international Arbitral Tribunal invalidated the nine-dash line policy of China and upheld the Philippines’ rights over its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
On the sidelines of the APEC in Bangkok, Marcos met with Chinese President Xi Jinping where he said they talked “a bit” about regional issues but “details that need to be discussed” will still be taken up next year when he makes a state visit to China in January.
Marcos, who prior to the meeting said it would be impossible for him to talk with his Chinese counterpart without mentioning the territorial dispute, said that his and Xi’s meeting were mostly pleasantries and getting to know each other since it was their first face-to-face meeting and other details that need to be discussed will be talked about soon.
China had said the two countries “must stick to friendly consultation and handle the differences and disputes properly.”
It added that both the Philippines and China should reject “acts of bullying” in the region.
Marcos explained that “the term bullying is not exactly accurate,” adding that it could mean that no country should allow itself to be dictated on by others.
“We should not allow others to dictate upon us. Maybe that’s what the Chinese were referring to. But that’s essentially what the, that has always been my formulation. That’s why it begins with being able to engage with everyone, from either side of any conflict… And it is how it should be. It is us in Asean, it is us in Asia who should decide…. It should be us in Asia who decides the future of Asia, the Asia-Pacific region, the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
Marcos said he had mentioned this during the meeting of the ASEAN dialogue partners that amid the developments around the world, it is the Asean members who should “make sure that we in the region are the ones who will decide the future of the region.”
REBUILDING TIES
Harris arrived in the Philippines last night for talks aimed at reviving ties with the former US colony, an Asian ally that is central to US efforts to counter China’s increasingly assertive policies towards Taiwan.
Harris, who will meet Marcos Jr., visits the region as the Biden administration seeks to shore up relations with allies worried about growing Chinese influence in Southeast Asia and possible conflict over Taiwan, the self-governing island China regards as its own.
The Philippines is an important part of this diplomatic push. Military access to the country, just 120 miles (193 km) from Taiwan and adjacent to the South China Sea, would greatly complicate any attempt by China to invade Taiwan, according to military analysts.
In Marcos, son and namesake of the Philippines’ onetime dictator, President Joe Biden and his national security aides see a strategic and strong ally for its top foreign policy challenge – competition with China – according to administration officials.
“It makes sense to invest high-level attention to restore deepened cooperation across the board with this youthful, populous, prospering, and strategically located ally,” said Daniel Russel, the top US diplomat for East Asia under former President Barack Obama and now with the Asia Society.
Earlier, Harris said she had told China’s President Xi Jinping, whom she met on Saturday at the APEC summit in Thailand, that Washington did not seek confrontation with China.
“We welcome competition but we do not see conflict, we do not seek confrontation,” Harris told a news conference in Bangkok before leaving for Manila.
Her visit will be the highest-level trip to the Philippines by an administration official and marks a sharp turnaround in relations.
Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, frustrated Washington with a strongman approach, perceived closeness to Beijing and a bellicose tone that included appearing to call Obama a “son of a bitch.”
With Marcos in office, the Biden administration is attempting a reset.
Biden called Marcos the night after his victory was announced, largely avoiding thorny issues, to send a congratulatory message, according to a person familiar with the call.
Biden also dispatched Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, to Marcos’ June inauguration with a personal, signed letter where he said he looked forward to welcoming Marcos to the United States, according to a US official.
The leaders are expected to discuss both Taiwan and the South China Sea as well as share notes on Marcos’ Thursday meeting with Xi and Biden’s with the Chinese leader on Monday.
“The US is not taking us for granted,” said Manila’s ambassador to Washington, Jose Manuel Romualdez. “Marcos, of course, is responding to this in a manner that shows the US that we are your friends.”
ALLIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
In Asia, the United States faces challenges in building a coalition to deter Chinese action against Taiwan. Many countries in the region are reluctant to antagonize their giant neighbor, which is not just a military power but also a key trading partner and source of investment.
While Washington is integrated with Japan’s and South Korea’s militaries and economies, it faces more skepticism of its China strategy among Southeast Asia’s diverse voices.
In response, the Biden administration has taken a range of steps, including hosting Asean leaders at the White House for the first time ever in May, and asking Congress for $800 million in 2023 spending in the region.
Biden himself has visited the region, with stops in Cambodia and Indonesia.
Harris will send a pointed symbolic message to China on Tuesday when she meets members of the Philippines’ coast guard in a Palawan province island city at the edge of the South China Sea.
Beijing claims some territories in the waters off Palawan and much of that sea, which is believed to contain massive oil and gas deposits.
Washington is investing millions to help modernize the Philippine military, but the country has not committed to supporting any US intervention in a conflict over Taiwan.
Romualdez said in September that the Philippines would only offer assistance “if it is important for us, for our own security.”
“Any overt campaign planning against China, planning for Taiwan, is still very sensitive,” said Randall Schriver, a former US assistant secretary of defense. “All of that has to be navigated carefully.”
Arsenio Andolong, a Philippine defense department spokesman, said there was no reason for China to fear Harris’ visit.
“We have no engagement with her during her visit,” said Andolong. “So there should be no reason for any of our neighbors to feel threatened.” — Reuters
