Why Did US State Secretary Marco Rubio Meet With PH DFA Chief Manalo?
The United States' Secretary of State Marco Rubio on met with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Monday (June 9) to tackle economic, trade issues, and security issues; hammering down a commitment to keep the peace in the South China Sea amid rising tensions with Beijing.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement on Tuesday that Rubio and Manalo exchanged views on ongoing talks regarding the Trump administration’s imposition of reciprocal tariffs on virtually all of its trade partners, including the Philippines. The agency said both sides cited the importance of stronger economic partnerships to ensure burgeoning bilateral relations.
US President Donald Trump had announced the reciprocal tariff scheme that would entail high duties and levies on these trading partners, but decided to halt this after Wall Street crashed and investors sold off shares. This resulted in the tanking of the stock market.
China had chided US President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs and heavy duties on its trading partners, calling it economic bullying from its rival.
On the security front, Manalo and Rubio sought for deeper ties with their countries' security partners and trilateral allies such as Japan to boost Philippine defense modernization efforts.
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“The secretaries reaffirmed the importance of continued defense and security cooperation, including through support for the Philippines’ defense modernization efforts,” according to the DFA.
The officials also cited recent efforts and dialogues on building the Philippine defense industry through Washington’s support via offers of foreign military sales, and the continued conduct of the annual Balikatan joint military drills. More than 14,000 Filipino and American troops participated in the annual Balikatan combat drills in the Philippines.
Manila and Washington are bound by a Mutual Defense Treaty that mandates both countries to defend each other in cases of armed conflict.
The Philippines and Japan have just finalized their Reciprocal Access Agreement, which would ease the entry of troops and military equipment on each other’s soil.
Manila and Beijing have been butting heads in the South China Sea over maritime clashes in the past year, which have caught the attention of the international community.
A United Nations-backed international tribunal in 2016 voided Beijing’s sweeping claims over the disputed waterway for going against international law.
“Solidarity around the principles and the common purpose for international peace and security underpinning the United Nations Charter must prevail especially as the UN marks its 80th anniversary this year,” Manalo said in a separate statement.
