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Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Philippines' Marcos to meet Trump hoping to secure trade deal
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr attends the closing ceremony of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits and Handing Over of the ASEAN Chairmanship to Malaysia, at the National Convention Centre, in Vientiane, Laos, October 11, 2024. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo WASHINGTON/MANILA - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. meets U.S. President Donald Trump this week, hoping Manila's status as a key Asian ally will secure a more favorable trade deal before an August 1 deadline. Marcos will be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet Trump in his second term. Trump has already struck trade deals with two of Manila's regional partners, Vietnam and Indonesia, driving tough bargains in trade talks even with close allies that Washington needs to keep onside in its strategic rivalry with China. "I expect our discussions to focus on security and defense, of course, but also on trade," Marcos said in a speech before leaving Manila. "We will see how much progress we can make when it comes to the negotiations with the United States concerning the changes that we would like to institute to alleviate the effects of a very severe tariff schedule on the Philippines." The United States had a deficit of nearly $5 billion with the Philippines last year on bilateral goods trade of $23.5 billion. Trump this month raised the threatened "reciprocal" tariffs on imports from the Philippines to 20% from 17% threatened in April. Although U.S. allies in Asia such as Japan and South Korea have yet to strike trade deals with Trump, Gregory Poling, a Southeast Asia expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Marcos might be able to do better than Vietnam, with its agreement of a 20% baseline tariff on its goods, and Indonesia at 19%. "I wouldn't be surprised to see an announcement of a deal with the Philippines at a lower rate than those two," Poling said. Marcos, who arrived in Washington on Sunday, is due to hold talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday before meeting Trump at the White House on Tuesday. He will also meet U.S. business leaders investing in the Philippines during his trip. 'MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL' DEAL Philippine officials say Marcos' focus will be on economic cooperation and Manila's concerns about the tariffs. They say he will stress that Manila must become economically stronger if it is to serve as a truly robust partner for the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific. Philippine Assistant Foreign Secretary Raquel Solano said last week trade officials have been working with U.S. counterparts seeking to seal a "mutually acceptable and mutually beneficial" deal for both countries. Trump and Marcos will also discuss defense and security, and Solano said the Philippine president would be looking to further strengthen the longstanding defense alliance. With the Philippines facing intense pressure from China in the contested South China Sea, Marcos has pivoted closer to the U.S., expanding its access to Philippine military bases amid China's threats towards Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by Beijing. The United States and the Philippines have a seven-decade-old mutual defense treaty and hold dozens of annual exercises,which have included training with U.S. Typhon missile system,and more recently with the NMESIS anti-ship missile system, angering China. Manila and the U.S. have closely aligned their views on China, Poling said, and it is notable that Rubio and Hegseth made sure their Philippine counterparts were the first Southeast Asian officials they met. Poling said Trump also seemed to have a certain warmth towards Marcos, based on their phone call after the election. REUTERS
Straits Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Philippines' Marcos to discuss trade and security during U.S. visit as tariffs loom
FILE PHOTO: Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr attends the closing ceremony of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits and Handing Over of the ASEAN Chairmanship to Malaysia, at the National Convention Centre, in Vientiane, Laos, October 11, 2024. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File photo MANILA - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will visit the United States next week with a clear message to President Donald Trump that the Philippines must become economically stronger if it is to serve as a truly robust partner, an official said on Friday. The visit, the first by an ASEAN head of state since Trump took office in January, will focus on economic cooperation, with Marcos expected to discuss concerns over proposed U.S. tariffs on Philippine exports. "The President's official visit also aims to address the U.S. tariff proposed to be levied on Philippine exports," Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Raquel Solano told a media briefing. Trump raised reciprocal tariffs on Philippine exports to 20% this month from the 17% threatened in April. Talks between Philippine trade officials and their U.S. counterparts are ongoing in Washington to hopefully seal a reciprocal deal that is "mutually acceptable and mutually beneficial" for both countries, Solano said. During the visit, the two leaders will also discuss closer cooperation in defence and security matters, including issues in the South China Sea where Manila and Beijing have had a series of maritime confrontations. Relations between Manila and Beijing have soured under Marcos, who has pivoted closer to the United States, granting it expanded access to Philippine military bases as both countries aim to counter what they have described as China's assertiveness in the South China Sea and towards Taiwan. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 30% of aviation jobs could be redesigned due to AI, automation; $200m fund to support workers: CAAS Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Business Global fintech firms expanding in Singapore with larger offices, APAC hubs Singapore UOB awarded $17.7m in civil suit against Lippo Marina Collection over inflated housing loans Life Kinokuniya opens third bookstore in Raffles City, weeks ahead of schedule Business DBS shares rally to a new record as STI clocks yet another high Singapore 5 foreigners charged over scheme to deliberately get arrested in S'pore to sell sex drugs Life F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Music acts Lewis Capaldi, Clean Bandit, Spice Girls' Melanie C added "The purpose of this visit is to further strengthen the Philippines-United States Alliance, to proactively engage the U.S. in all aspects of the relations and seize opportunities for greater security and economic cooperation," Solano said. The United States and the Philippines have a seven-decade old mutual defence treaty and hold dozens of annual exercises, which have included training with U.S. Typhon missile system, and more recently with the NMESIS anti-ship missile system, angering China. Marcos will also meet separately with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as U.S. business leaders who are investing in the Philippines. REUTERS
Straits Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Philippine president orders probe into alleged foreign interference in elections
FILE PHOTO: Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr attends the closing ceremony of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits and Handing Over of the ASEAN Chairmanship to Malaysia, at the National Convention Centre, in Vientiane, Laos, October 11, 2024. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo MANILA - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has ordered an investigation into alleged foreign interference in next month's elections after a top security official's warning that Chinese state-sponsored groups may be attempting to influence the outcome of the vote. "This is truly alarming," Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told a media briefing. "We will conduct a thorough investigation so we can uncover the truth behind this." The order came after a top National Security Council official told a Senate hearing on Thursday that signs of Chinese information operations had been detected. His comments coincided with Senator Francis Tolentino presenting what he said was evidence linking the Chinese embassy in Manila to the proliferation of "troll farm" operations in the Philippines. Tolentino said the embassy had paid a local marketing firm to run online operations, and presented what we said was a copy of cheque issued by the mission as proof. "These troll farms were engaged not only to openly provide information and convey the policies of the Chinese government but also to act as a covert disinformation and influence operation against the Philippine government and the Filipino people," Tolentino said in a statement on Thursday. China's foreign ministry and its embassy in Manila rejected the accusations. "China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs," Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the ministry said on Thursday. "We have no interest in interfering in Philippine elections." At stake in the May elections are 317 congressional seats and thousands of local posts, but the fiercest contest is for 12 spots in the 24-seat Senate, a chamber known for its power in shaping policy. The allegations come amid strained ties and confrontations between China and U.S. ally the Philippines in the past few years over disputed features in the South China Sea. The Chinese embassy rejected what it called "heinous accusation towards China" by opportunistic politicians. "We noticed the attempts of some politicians to play the so-called China card to serve their political self interests and boost their election prospects," it said. "Such attempts are despicable and doomed to failure." Tolentino in a press conference on Friday accused China of mounting a "coordinated effort to undermine the democratic system and our way of life," saying part of the objective was to help elect "pro-China" senatorial candidates in the mid-term elections. He did not name the candidates. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Philippines Marcos describes Pope Francis as "best pope in my lifetime"
FILE PHOTO: Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr attends the closing ceremony of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits and Handing Over of the ASEAN Chairmanship to Malaysia, at the National Convention Centre, in Vientiane, Laos, October 11, 2024. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo MANILA - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday described Pope Francis as the "best pope in my lifetime," as he expressed deep sorrow over his passing. "A man of profound faith and humility, Pope Francis led not only with wisdom but with a heart open to all, especially the poor and the forgotten," Marcos, 67, said in a post on Facebook. Church bells tolled across Manila on Monday following the news of Pope Francis' death, a sombre tribute in one of the world's largest Catholic countries. Nearly 80% of Filipinos identify as Roman Catholic, a legacy of Spanish colonisation in the Philippine archipelago for more than 300 years. The Pope last visited the Philippines in 2015 drawing a record crowd of up to seven million people during a historic mass in the capital. His journey included a visit to Tacloban, where he met with survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, the deadliest storm in Philippine history. During that papal visit, a volunteer, Kristel Padasas, died in an accident. Her father, Jun Padasas was heartbroken upon learning of Francis' death. "He is now in God's hands. He feels no more pain and is in a better place," he said in a phone message. "I spoke to my daughter's picture while lighting a candle at her altar and said, 'Pope Francis is gone. Welcome him there.'" REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
