The Philippine Ambassador to the United States stated on Friday (July 19) that if former President Trump returns to the White House, the strong alliance between the United States and the Philippines will continue. He also revealed that the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit the Philippines in late July.
According to Bloomberg’s report on Friday, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said in an interview in Washington, D.C., “I see no risks at all. Our relationship with the United States has had its ups and downs, but it has always been solid.”
Recently, Trump’s campaign has been going strong, raising questions about whether Trump will continue to deepen Washington’s relationships with regional allies. In response, the ambassador expressed optimism.
He stated that Trump choosing Senator JD Vance, who takes a hardline stance against the Chinese Communist Party, as his running mate is a good sign for the Philippines. “If you listen to Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance, you can see that their policy towards China is basically aligned with ours,” he said. “When it comes to provocations by China, we hope for retaliation.”
In the past two years, the disputes and standoffs between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, especially near Second Thomas Shoal, have been very serious. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea. It has repeatedly demanded that the Philippines remove the naval ship grounded at Second Thomas Shoal, which the Philippines has refused, leading to China blocking Philippine ships from supplying the grounded vessel.
The Biden administration has repeatedly warned Beijing that the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty signed by the U.S. and the Philippines obligates the U.S. to defend the Philippines in the event of an attack on Philippine aircraft or ships.
Since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in 2022, he has rapidly strengthened military ties with the United States and opened several Philippine military bases to American forces. Romualdez previously stated that although this move is to enhance the Philippines’ defense strategy rather than aggressive actions, Manila may allow U.S. forces to use these bases in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.