UNITED States Vice President Kamala Harris is in town for several reasons, one of which has been articulated by both President Marcos Jr. and the US vice president, which is to further strengthen a century of friendship and cooperation between the US and its former colony, the Philippines.
This purpose of the visit is for public consumption, bolstered further by Harris’ statement that it will honor the US commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines, calling it “unwavering.”
“Our relationship is based on mutual concerns about security for the region. We are both proud members of the Indo-Pacific. And in particular as it relates to the Philippines, I will say that we must reiterate always that we stand with you in defense of international rules and norms as it relates to the South China Sea,” she added.
‘We recognize that PBBM is keenly perceptive about international developments like his father, but handling this US-China balance in international relations is a big test of his astuteness in these matters.’
Harris promised that an “armed attack on the Philippines, armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke US Mutual Defense commitments.”
VP Harris is the third among high-ranking American officials who reiterated this commitment this year. Ahead of her were Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson.
Carlson said “the basis of our relationship is based on mutual commitments to international rules and norms, and upholding those international rules and norms in all of the ways that we know allow for again prosperity and security for our respective nations in the region.
The alliance between the United States and the Philippines is a strong one and enduring one, and only under your leadership continues to be strengthened.”
These platitudes aside, the meat of Harris’ visit is actually an inspection of the US military facility in an island in Palawan which is the closest one can get near the waters claimed by China. The presence of US military hardware in that part of the country is legally covered by the EDCA, an accord between the two countries forged in 2014.
It won’t escape the scrutiny of political analysts from both pro-US and pro-China camps that the Harris trip to Palawan has great geopolitical and military implications, and President Marcos has just downplayed its relevance by saying that Palawan is just another part of the country worth visiting by a foreign dignitary.
The Palawan visit by the US vice president will definitely pique China, although not as hurting as Nancy Pelosi’s recent travel to Taiwan. Whatever it is that US President Joe Biden is up to in all these visits remains to be seen. Is this the continuation of former US President Obama’s pivot to Asia? We recognize that PBBM is keenly perceptive about international developments like his father, but handling this US-China balance in international relations is a big test of his astuteness in these matters.
