US seeks continuity in relations

The United States is seeking early engagement with the newly elected administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr in the Philippines, although historical considerations mean there will probably be some initial challenges, the chief US policymaker for Asia said.

“Time will tell, but our desire will be to get off to a good start,” Kurt Campbell, the White House coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, said of Marcos’ decisive victory on Monday in the presidential election.

“We are seeking early engagement,” he said.

“There are some historical considerations that probably (mean), at least initially, there will be some challenges in that communication.”

“But obviously, the Philippines plays such a critical important role and we will seek to continue close partnership in the security realm and increasing trade and economic ties.”

“Our expectation is we’ll be able to continue to work closely,” Campbell said, adding that US relations with outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte “really rebounded” toward the end of his term, “at least the strategic level, and we want very much to continue that”.

Campbell made the comment at the US Institute of Peace ahead of President Joe Biden’s summit with South-East Asian countries.

The Philippines is not attending at the leader level due to its transition.

The Philippines is a long standing treaty ally of the United States, but Marcos’ victory looks set to complicate US efforts to push back against China, Washington’s main strategic rival.

Marcos, son and namesake of the Philippines former dictator, has long-standing ties with China and is seeking a new deal with Chinese ruler Xi Jinping over the contested waters of the strategic and resource-rich South China Sea.

Marcos’ relations with the United States are complicated by a contempt of court order for his refusal to cooperate with the district court of Hawaii, which in 1995 ordered the Marcos family to pay US$2bil of plundered wealth to victims of Marcos Sr’s rule. — Reuters