Ferdinand Marcos Jr., president of the Philippines, said Monday’s meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden was crucial to advancing Philippine national interests and strengthening the crucial alliance between Manila and Washington.
On the eve of his four-day official visit to Washington, Marcos told reporters on Sunday that he would tell President Biden that he was committed to building “an even stronger relationship” with the United States in order to “address the concerns of our times,” including economic ones.
In an effort to gain a strategic advantage in the region, both the United States and China have sent their leaders to meet with Marcos, the first Philippine president to visit the United States in over a decade.
The senior U.S. administration official said that despite the fact that the relationship between the two countries was about more than just security, the strategic importance of the Philippines could not be overstated.
The official also mentioned that a presidential business delegation from the United States would be visiting the Philippines as part of efforts to strengthen commercial ties.
In the event that China launches an amphibious invasion of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, the United States is considering basing rockets, missiles, and artillery systems in the Philippines as a deterrent.
