President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris held discussions on Tuesday, focusing on strengthening economic, diplomatic, and defense ties between the US and the Philippines.
The two leaders engaged in a phone call, during which Marcos emphasized the significant progress made in the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Harris stressed the importance of the United States' unwavering support for the Philippines, especially amid China's ongoing aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
"Indeed, and I will tell you from my first visit to Manila and our first conversation, it is extremely important to me and to the United States that we reaffirm the commitment to the defense of the Philippines including the South China Sea," Harris told Marcos during the call, as stated by the Presidential Communications Office in their report.
She also highlighted the bipartisan support in the United States Congress and across the U.S. for strengthening the relationship with the Philippines, especially in areas of security, prosperity, and people-to-people connections.
Marcos, meanwhile, emphasized the strong and productive partnership between the United States and the Philippines.
"Madame Vice President, before I came to this call I was going through all of the things that we had discussed in the past couple of years. And it is remarkable how much work we have been able to do and how much it has progressed and developed the relationship between our two countries," said Marcos.
"Already very strong relationship but evolving and evolving for the modern challenges that we face, both for us and the South China Sea and for the United States around the world," he added.
He also recalled telling U.S. President Joe Biden prior to the signing of the trilateral agreement in Washington that it would alter the dynamics of the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific, a shift that has indeed occurred.
The President also stressed that the ties between the Philippines, the U.S., and Japan have garnered recognition within ASEAN, reinforcing their collective stance on critical issues in the WPS.
Furthermore, he acknowledged that Harris' efforts have laid a strong foundation for the continued collaboration between the two nations.
Marcos then expressed his hope to build on this progress and continue working together on what the two nations have started, grounded in shared values and international law.
Before the phone call concluded, President Marcos extended an invitation to Harris to visit the Philippines once more.
The call between Vice President Harris and President Marcos took place just days after a trilateral phone conversation on Monday involving U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Moreover, during the trilateral meeting, Marcos expressed confidence that the three nations would continue to make meaningful progress toward a stronger and more robust relationship.
Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United States were formally established on July 4, 1946.
