Opinion | On the US and China, Marcos wants the Philippines to have its cake and eat it too

The Philippine president is trying to achieve a ‘Goldilocks’ level – neither too hot, nor too cold – of military cooperation with the US without unduly provoking Beijing

Fully alienating China, a top trading partner, is not an option, not least because of domestic opposition

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Published: 12:30am, 9 May 2023

“We are facing new challenges. And I can’t think of any better partner to have than you,” said US President Joe Biden in welcoming his Philippine counterpart, Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, to the White House. It was the first visit to Washington by a Philippine president in over a decade, after relations became acrimonious under Marcos’ Beijing-friendly predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who refused to visit a single Western capital throughout his six years in office.

“Our countries not only share a strong partnership, we share a deep friendship – one that has been enriched by millions of Filipino Americans in the communities all across the United States of America,” Biden added, underscoring the depth of the alliance.

The high-stakes meeting came on the heels of renewed tensions in the South China Sea and Manila’s decision to expand US access to Philippine bases under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Accordingly, Biden reaffirmed the US’ “ironclad” commitment against shared threats under their Mutual Defence Treaty. In turn, Marcos emphasised how “it is only natural” to expand cooperation with the Philippines’ sole defence treaty partner. Upon closer examination, however, Marcos was largely tentative in his statements about regional security issues.

Throughout his trip, Marcos emphasised the centrality of trade and investment to his foreign policy agenda. He seems determined not to fully align with the US in a new cold war against China, but instead explore a “Goldilocks” level of military cooperation which protects Philippine security interests without unduly provoking the Asian superpower.

Washington has launched a charm offensive aimed at Marcos, the namesake son of the former Philippine strongman who ruled with an iron fist throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Biden was among the first to congratulate the Philippine leader for his emphatic election victory last year.