As part of his ten-day tour of Southeast Asia and Africa, after Cambodia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is going to the Philippines this Saturday, August 6, where he is to meet his Filipino counterpart Enrique Manalo and the President Ferdinand Marcos Junior. On the menu of meetings, the strengthening of the alliance between Manila and Washington, after six years of turbulent relations under the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte.
The discussions will be devoted to strengthening cooperation in the fields of energy, trade and investment, but also and above all to military cooperation. Blinken intends to underline to his Philippine counterpart the United States’ unwavering commitment to the mutual defense treaty signed in 1951 by Washington and Manila, in the midst of the Korean War.
A way of recalling the strategic partnership maintained by the two countries for more than half a century and undermined by President Duterte who played hot and cold during his mandate, forging ambiguous relations with Beijing while advocating a multilateral approach.
What will happen to the position of his successor Ferdinand Marcos Junior? Some experts predict continuity with the policy of Rodrigo Duterte, others a break and a possible strengthening of defense relations with the American ally.
► Read also: With son Marcos, what posture for the Philippines in the “China Sea”?