Manila’s alliance with the United States and its trilateral partnership with Japan will remain strong despite concerns over US President Donald Trump’s transactional approach to alliances, Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo said. “We are very committed to the trilateral arrangement with the United States,” Manalo said in an interview with The Japan Times, emphasizing that the Philippines is determined to maintain this strategic cooperation.
Recalling his phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 22, Manalo said there could be a meeting between Trump and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “in the near future”. Stating that such contacts strengthen the long-standing diplomatic and military cooperation between the two countries, Manalo said that the Philippines attaches importance to its partnerships in the field of defense and security. He also emphasized that cooperation with the United States and Japan is critical to the security balance in Southeast Asia. Particularly in the context of rising tensions in the South China Sea, he said the Philippines’ cooperation with its allies will contribute to maintaining stability in the region. Manalo noted that Japan also plays an important role in regional security and that ties continue to strengthen in both defense and economic cooperation.
