Philippine president continues talks in Washington ahead of Trump meeting

The U.S. has reaffirmed its commitment to the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. It's after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr attended a series of high-level meetings in Washington on Monday including with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon.

They addressed regional security concerns in the Asia-Pacific and focused on defence ties and trade, ahead of his scheduled meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

“Our storied alliance has never been stronger or more essential than it is today,” said Hegseth before the closed-door talks. “Together, we remain committed to the mutual defence treaty.”

Marcos described Hegseth’s March visit to the Philippines as “an important symbol” of the enduring partnership, calling the treaty the “cornerstone” of bilateral security cooperation.

The Philippine leader also met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to the State Department, both sides “reaffirmed their shared commitment to deterrence and reinforcing freedoms of navigation and overflight in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Marcos arrived in Washington on Sunday for a three-day official visit. A key focus is the proposed 20% tariff on Philippine exports to the U.S., due to take effect on 1 August. Manila is seeking a bilateral trade deal to mitigate the impact.

The Philippines remains a traditional U.S. ally, with security ties anchored in the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

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