Philippine President Marcos to Meet with Trump in Washington

The Diplomat

2 days ago

The Philippine leader is the first Southeast Asian leader to be invited to Washington by President Trump since the start of his second term.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will depart on Sunday on a state visit to the United States, during which he will fortify Manila's security alliance with the U.S. and finalize a deal on tariffs.
In a statement from Washington, Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said that Marcos would visit Washington, D.C. from July 2o t0 22, during which he will 'reaffirm the Philippines' commitment to its alliance with the U.S., explore opportunities for greater security and economic cooperation, and discuss regional and international issues of common concern,' GMA News Online reported.
The trip was first announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during last week's ASEAN Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur, and was subsequently confirmed by the Presidential Palace and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
With the visit, Marcos will become the first Southeast Asian leader to be invited by Trump to Washington. It will also be his fifth visit to the country since taking office in mid-2022. These included visits to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022, and two more visits in 2023, once for a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, and the second for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. He then visited again to attend the inaugural U.S.-Philippines-Japan Trilateral Summit in April 2024.
The visit also comes shortly after the Trump administration threatened to impose a 20 percent tariff on the country's imports, up from the initial 17 percent announced by Trump in April. Like many of its neighbors, Manila is rushing to broker a more advantageous deal prior to August 1, when the White House has said its tariffs will come into effect. Negotiations between the U.S. and the Philippines are reportedly ongoing, although Marcos' visit, coming a week before the tariff deadline, could well see the announcement of a final deal between the two allies.
In his statement, Romualdez did not elaborate on what topics would be discussed, but in a separate comment to GMA News Online, said that 'sensitive matters will likely be discussed.' Aside from an in-person meeting with Trump, Marcos will have several engagements with senior U.S. officials and business leaders during his visit, the ambassador added.
One issue that will almost certainly be on the agenda is the maritime and security cooperation between Washington and Manila, which has increased in recent years as a result of China's growing maritime power and ambition. During Marcos' three years in office, Beijing has increased the frequency and intensity of its incursions into Philippine-claimed waters, resulting in a string of dangerous encounters between the two nations' coast guards.
As a result, the Philippines and the U.S. have increased their security cooperation, and expanded it with other similarly concerned nations, such as Japan and Australia. Under Marcos, the Philippines has opened more of its military facilities to a rotational U.S. presence under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, and increased military exercises and joint patrols. Both the Biden and Trump administrations have also reaffirmed that the U.S. will come to the Philippines' defense under the Mutual Defense Treaty if its forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.
Most recently, earlier this week, the U.S. Embassy announced that the U.S. Navy will construct two facilities for the repair and maintenance of Philippine military vessels on Palawan, the Philippine island closest to the Philippine-claimed islands and features in the South China Sea.