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MANILA: Relations between the US and the Philippines have been in overdrive since President Ferdinand Marcos took energy in June 2022, fuelled by China’s rising assertiveness within the Asia-Pacific area.
A key concern has been the South China Sea, the place repeated confrontations between Chinese language and Philippine vessels close to disputed reefs have raised fears of a wider battle involving the US and different allies.
The difficulty was excessive on the agenda of Thursday’s first trilateral summit between the US and treaty allies Japan and the Philippines.
AFP appears on the deepening of defence ties between the Philippines and the US, and why Washington may go to battle for Manila.
DOES THE US HAVE TO DEFEND THE PHILIPPINES?
The Philippines is a significant focus of US efforts to strengthen regional alliances resulting from its shut proximity to the South China Sea and self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as a part of its territory.
Whereas Manila and Washington have a posh historical past that has seen relations see-saw lately, they’ve remained certain by a 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty.
Prime Biden administration officers have repeatedly stated that “an armed assault” towards Philippine public vessels, plane, armed forces and coastguard anyplace within the South China Sea would invoke the treaty.
In 2014, a defence cooperation settlement between the 2 nations gave US troops entry to 5 Philippine army bases.
That pact turned dormant underneath former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was pro-China, however was revived and expanded after Marcos got here to energy and now contains 4 extra websites.
“Given the geopolitical state of affairs now … the messaging of the US dedication to the Philippines is extra clarified and extra coherent,” stated Andrea Wong, a non-resident analysis fellow on the Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs in New Zealand.
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