Top US officials promised President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) that Washington will defend its longtime ally and ramp up military resources aimed at deterring an assertive China.
Marcos will meet Tuesday with President Donald Trump, who has rattled many European allies by demanding they pay more to be protected as part of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
Both Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who have both identified China as a top threat, stated their commitment to the seven-decade treaty with the Philippines as they held separate meetings with Marcos on Monday.
“Together we remain committed to the Mutual Defense Treaty. And this pact extends to armed attacks on our armed forces, aircraft or public vessels, including our Coast Guard anywhere in the Pacific, including the South China Sea,” Hegseth told Marcos.
Noting growing US defense spending, Hegseth said that the two countries “must forge a strong shield of real deterrence for peace, ensuring the long-term security and prosperity for our nations.”
“We do not seek confrontation, but we are and will be ready and resolute,” Hegseth said.
Marcos welcomed US support, noting the “changing political geopolitical forces and the political developments around our part of the world.”
China and the Philippines have engaged in a series of confrontations in the contested waters, which Beijing claims almost entirely, despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.
Since his election in 2022, Marcos has boosted cooperation between the former US colony and the United States, both under Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden.
The Philippines and the US have ramped up military cooperation in recent years, holding large-scale joint exercises such as Balikatan, and expanding the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) to additional Philippine sites.
Marcos called the alliance with the US “a cornerstone” of the country’s national defense and credited recent joint exercises with improving interoperability not only with American forces but also with other regional partners such as Australia and Canada.
“It has been a good development,” Mr. Marcos told Hegseth.
“And I thank you and the United States government and President Trump for the continuing support… in the face of the threats that our country is facing,” he added.
The meeting marks one of Mr. Marcos’ key engagements during his multi-day U.S. visit, which includes discussions on economic partnerships, regional security, and defense alignment with Washington.
