U.S. President Joe Biden has reaffirmed to his Philippine counterpart, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, also known as ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, their »ironclad» alliance, assuring that an attack on the Armed Forces of the Philippines would trigger U.S. defense.
»An armed attack against the Philippine Armed Forces, ships or aircraft in the Pacific, including the South China Sea, would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under (…) the 1951 U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty,» a joint statement reads.
In this regard, Biden and Marcos underscored »their unwavering commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea,» as well as »the importance of respecting the sovereign rights of states within their exclusive economic zones in accordance with international law,» in reference to the latest tensions in the region over Chinese warship attacks on Filipino fishermen.
On the other hand, they agreed on »the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity». They also expressed their support for Ukraine, in the context of the Russian invasion, stressing »independence and territorial integrity» within »its internationally recognized borders».
This meeting, which is Marcos’ first visit to the White House since he assumed the Philippine presidency last year, is framed in tense relations with Beijing over the waters of the South China Sea and the US presence, as Manila has agreed to provide four new military bases to Washington.
The bases, in application of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), are intended to build facilities to store and supply equipment, for which the Philippine president had to reaffirm this Monday upon his arrival at the White House that the Philippines »will not be used as a base for military actions» with the purpose of »attacking China».
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
