MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Manila’s top envoy to Washington expressed confidence Tuesday that the United States will not abandon the Philippines as it struggles with Beijing’s assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea — even as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping seek more direct talks to resolve their differences.
Jose Manuel Romualdez, the Philippine ambassador to Washington, welcomed the resumption of talks between U.S. and Chinese leaders and said Manila should also try to “recalibrate” relations with Beijing for more trade engagement.
However, he said the Philippines would continue to firmly defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely.
The United States and the Philippines, Washington’s oldest treaty allies in Asia, have been the most vocal critics of China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. In recent years, Chinese forces have used powerful water cannons, flares and dangerous interception exercises at sea and in the air against Philippine forces in the South China Sea.
The United States has repeatedly warned China that if the Philippine military is attacked by armed forces, China has an obligation to defend the Philippines. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also been involved in the territorial standoff but have avoided condemning China’s assertiveness.
Still, Romualdez noted growing concerns that a U.S.-China rapprochement could marginalize the Philippines. He said Trump plans to visit China in April, which in turn could lead to Xi Jinping visiting the United States.
“Some people are saying, ‘Is there going to be a deal that puts us in trouble?'” Romualdez, a long-time critic of China’s actions in the disputed waters, told a news conference in Manila.
“We are assured that this is absolutely not true,” Romualz said, adding that U.S. defense activities with the Philippines “are now increasing.”
Romualz said that the U.S. Congress is enacting substantial financial allocations to continue to help the Philippine military modernize its capabilities. He will visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii in April to discuss upcoming military and defense activities.
Last year, about 9,000 U.S. troops and 5,000 Filipino troops participated in one of the Philippines’ largest annual combat exercises in years. In a live-fire exercise, U.S. and Philippine forces fired a barrage of missiles and artillery fire to down several drones acting as enemy aircraft near a Philippine province facing the South China Sea.
China strongly opposes simulated battle scenes, considering them provocative.
The Philippines will also work to make our relationship with China “better,” Romualdez said, adding that the two countries could cooperate on non-controversial issues such as climate change, manufacturing and alternative energy.
“There’s only one thing that’s constant in this world, and that’s change,” Romualz said. “We can’t stay stuck in one place.”
