President Biden met with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Monday, sending a message to China that Washington’s alliances within the Indo-Pacific area stay robust regardless of Beijing’s elevated aggression.

Mr. Marcos’s go to to the White House got here simply days after the 2 international locations’ militaries held joint workouts geared toward curbing China’s affect and boosting the U.S.’s means to defend Taiwan if Beijing orders an invasion.

“The United States also remains ironclad in our commitment to the defense of the Philippines, including the South China Sea, and will continue to support the Philippines’ military modernization,” Mr. Biden mentioned forward of his bilateral assembly with Mr. Marcos.

That’s what Mr. Marcos needed to listen to from the U.S. president. He arrived in Washington planning to press Mr. Biden on his dedication to defend the island nation and strengthen financial alliances to counter China.

Mr. Marcos mentioned the Philippines wants assurances from the U.S. as a result of it sits in “possibly the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world right now.”

“So it is only natural that the Philippines look to its sole treaty partner in the world to strengthen, to redefine, the relationship that we have and the roles that we play in the face of those rising tensions that we see now around the South China Sea and Asia Pacific,” Mr. Marcos earlier than sitting down to speak with Mr. Biden.

As a part of Mr. Marcos’s go to, the White House is unveiling a number of new initiatives geared toward bolstering the alliance, based on senior administration officers who briefed reporters. Plans embody a brand new set of bilateral protection tips together with the switch of C-130 plane and extra patrol autos to assist modernize Manila’s navy.

Other initiatives introduced Monday embody a U.S. commerce mission to the Philippines later this 12 months, and $3 billion in private and non-private financing to spice up the nation’s infrastructure for crucial minerals, the officers mentioned.

During their talks, Mr. Biden reaffirmed Washington’s safety dedication to the Philippines, which dates again to a 1951 mutual protection treaty.

Despite the leaders’ efforts to point out a unified entrance, there was no joint press convention. Mr. Biden held a joint press convention final week when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was on the town for a state go to. 

Neither Mr. Biden nor Mr. Marcos took questions from reporters, regardless of main crises, together with the collapse of First Republic Bank and the continuing standoff over the U.S. debt ceiling.

Mr. Biden did make remarks earlier within the day about First Republic Bank however didn't take reporters’ questions.

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