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| US Coast Guard (left) and Philippine Coast Guard in the South China Sea. (Photo: USCG) |
Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Ano said on July 21 that he met with US Secretary of State Marco Antonio Rubio in Washington, DC last week, where the two sides reaffirmed the decades-long alliance between the two countries and discussed ways to expand defense and security cooperation.
The high-level dialogue between the two sides comes as part of a broader diplomatic and strategic effort by the Marcos Jr. administration to strengthen ties with the United States and other partners in the Indo- Pacific in the face of China’s growing militarization of disputed waters in the South China Sea.
Mr. Eduardo M. Ano emphasized that future activities with the US will focus on strengthening joint defense capabilities and creating a "credible deterrent in the region".
“Both sides emphasized the importance of working with traditional allies and partners to ensure a rules-based international order and a free, open and prosperous Indo- Pacific ,” said Eduardo M. Ano.
The United States and the Philippines also affirmed that maintaining peace and security in the region is important to the economic interests of both sides.
On the US side, Mr. Rubio reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad" commitment to defend the Philippines under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), which stipulates that both countries must support each other in case of armed attack in the Pacific, including the East Sea.
During his three-day official visit to the United States (July 20-23), President Marcos Jr. also expressed his views on strengthening the strategic value of the US-Philippines alliance during the meetings. The Philippine leader believes that the US-Philippines alliance has contributed to maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
The Philippine President stressed the need for continued cooperation amid the rapidly changing geopolitical environment, especially the fierce competition between the United States and China.
President Marcos Jr.’s visit marks his first bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in his second term. The topics of discussion between the two leaders include expanding defense ties, economic cooperation and reducing tariffs on key Philippine exports such as electronics, garments and tropical fruits.
The visit is widely seen as a reaffirmation of the Philippines' strategic orientation under the Marcos Jr. administration to strengthen alliance ties amid rising maritime tensions with China.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/lien-minh-my-philippines-tiep-tuc-khang-dinh-cam-ket-sat-da-duy-tri-hoa-binh-on-dinh-tai-bien-dong-322051.html
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