President Joe Biden promised to seek to improve ties with the Pacific country after what he called some “rocky moments” in the past during his first face-to-face meeting with the new Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday.
The world leaders met outside the U.N. General Assembly to discuss a variety of topics, including the South China Sea conflict, the long-standing security alliance between the United States and the Philippines, the impact Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is having on the world economy and food security, and other matters.
According to Biden, the Philippines was one of the American allies to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine swiftly.
Although there have been some rough patches, the partnership is crucial from our viewpoint. At the beginning of the meeting, Biden stated, “I hope you feel the same way.
The relationship had hiccups during the administration of Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.
Human rights organizations claim that hundreds of extrajudicial executions occurred due to Duterte’s “war on drugs.”
Furthermore, human rights organizations claim that most of the murders carried out by police and armed vigilantes took place without following the proper procedures and that most of the victims were poor, unarmed, low-level criminals.
Since 2016, the United States has stopped providing the Philippine National Police with counter-drug support.
The president spoke on “the need for respect for human rights,” according to a statement from the White House.
The discussions on Thursday occur at a time of rising hostilities between the United States and China over the former’s approach toward Taiwan.
The “One China” policy permits informal connections and military links with Taiwan while recognizing Beijing as the government of China. As a result, the island is seen as belonging to China.