Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured the Philippines on Saturday that the United States would come to its defense if attacked in the South China Sea, seeking to allay concerns about the extent of the US commitment to a mutual defense treaty. READ:
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomes US State of Secretary Antony Blinken during a courtesy call at the Malacañan Palace on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. Photo by KJ ROSALES/PPA POOL/ The Philippine Star
“An armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels and aircraft will invoke US mutual defense commitments under that treaty,” Mr. Blinken told a news conference.Mr. Blinken was the most senior US official to meet new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of the late strongman who Washington helped to flee into exile in Hawaii during a 1986 “people power” uprising that ended his two-decade rule.
The Philippines is a fulcrum of the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China and Marcos faces a tricky challenge in balancing ties between the two major powers.
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