Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited the United States and met with President Joe Biden last week in an effort to strengthen ties between the two countries. One of the United State’s oldest allies in the south pacific, the Philippines is in a strategically vital location for US interests due to its proximity to Taiwan, and has a long history with the US. Under the previous president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, US-Filipino relations deteriorated drastically, but the new president, Marcos Jr., has worked to repair the relationship between the two countries as best he can. The Philippines are also markedly anti-Chinese, as they have a number of territorial disputes with them, and have subsequently pursued a closer relationship with the US to protect their territorial claims.
With this effort to improve relations between the Philippines and the United States, US influence in the South Pacific has grown yet again. With the Philippines proximity to Taiwan, they’re also improving their military capabilities in the event of a seeming inevitable Chinese invasion of Taiwan. An improved relationship with the Philippines also means the United States has a semi-circle of influence around China in the east; with South Korea and Japan to the east, and the Philippines and Taiwan to the south.
Link to Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/world/asia/us-philippines-alliance.html