• US President Joe Biden reassures Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of Washington's commitment to defend the Philippines amid escalating tensions with China in the South China Sea.
• The two countries reaffirmed their long-standing security alliance and set new rules to improve military and economic cooperation.
• The US views the Philippines as a key ally in countering China's aggression and will deploy additional resources to the Philippines.

In a Monday White House meeting, US President Joe Biden assured Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that Washington would defend Manila amid growing tensions with China in the South China Sea.

The United States is the only treaty ally of the Philippines, which Marcos noted on his first visit to the White House in a decade.

As the United States and the Philippines, both seek ways to counter China's escalating aggression near Taiwan and in the South China Sea, the two countries reaffirmed their long-standing security alliance, which is seen as a significant shift in US-Philippine relations, Reuters reported.

According to US sources, the presidents will set new rules to improve military and economic cooperation between the two nations. During a meeting with Philippine President Marcos Jr., President Biden reaffirmed his "ironclad" commitment to the Philippines' defense, including in the South China Sea.

In addition, Joe Biden promised the Philippines that the United States will continue to be resolute in tackling problems like climate change, workers' rights, legality, and economic cooperation.

In a joint statement, they declared that the US commitment to mutual defense under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty would be activated in the event of any military assault on the Philippines anywhere in the Pacific, including the South China Sea.

Marcos Calls For Bolstering US-Philippine Ties

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific region during his five-day visit to the US and commended the US for its efforts to uphold stability, growth, and peace in the region.

The Philippines' chief executive stressed the necessity for both nations "to find ways to strengthen our alliances and our partnership" to meet the difficulties faced by the new post-pandemic economy. He said that the Philippines is now dealing with one of the world's most complex geopolitical circumstances, according to The Manila Times.

Given the complicated situation in the South China Sea and the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the necessity for the Philippines to solidify and redefine its relationship with the United States, its only treaty partner.

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The discussions were the first of their type between the US and the Philippines in decades, according to a senior US official.

Due to the US and China's rivalry for influence in the region, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has attempted to strike a balance in the nation's relations with both of these nations. He reiterated that the Philippines would not be utilized as a staging area for any military operation.

The Philippines' Key Role in the Asia Pacific

In its attempts to thwart a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the US views the Philippines as a key ally.

Under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), Manila has permitted the US access to four additional of its military sites, and the two allies recently conducted their biggest military exercises.

According to the EDCA, the Joe Biden administration will deploy three C-130 planes and more patrol boats to the Philippines, per Al Jazeera.

Additionally, the United States and the Philippines will adopt defense policies that "institutionalize key bilateral priorities, mechanisms, and processes to deepen alliance cooperation and interoperability across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace," according to a White House statement.

Later this month, Joe Biden has meetings in Japan for the G7 and Australia for the Quad, both of which are anticipated to concentrate on China.

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