Trump win spurs defense ally Philippines to shield economic ties
The return of Donald Trump to the White House is unlikely to reshape the US and the Philippines’ longstanding security alliance, but his economic policies and their impact would take center stage, according to Manila’s envoy to Washington.
“Our interests are very much aligned. It is going to be beneficial for both our countries,” Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said in an interview Thursday at his Washington office. “I am convinced and confident that there will be no major changes especially on the defense side.”
Manila plans to capitalize on strengthened defense ties to continue scoring economic benefits from Washington during Trump’s second term, according to the envoy. The Philippines is seeking to sustain the flow of infrastructure aid and investment pledges from the US that ramped up under Joe Biden, as Mr. Trump’s protectionist policies risk roiling the global economy.
“On the economic side, that’s where we need to be able to see what his policies would be and how it would affect the Philippines,” Mr. Romualdez said. “It’s a matter of being able to negotiate a level that we would both agree is good for our countries,” he said of President-elect Trump’s plan to impose steep tariffs on all US imports, especially those from China.
Among the US’ oldest allies in Asia and one of the region’s fast-growing economies, the Philippines is preparing to mount a campaign to convince the Trump administration to consider the Southeast Asian nation as a supply chain partner as the superpower rebuilds its manufacturing sector, the envoy said.
NOT WORRIED
Mr. Romualdez isn’t worried at all that the next US administration could significantly alter Washington’s current strategy of countering China’s aggression in the region. It was during Mr. Trump’s first term, he said, that the US made the assurance that South China Sea is covered under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
Mr. Romualdez recalled Mr. Trump saying in 2017 when he visited the Philippines that the country “is in a geopolitical place where it is the most expensive piece of real estate” because of its proximity to the South China Sea.
If the South China Sea, which is a key route for trillions of dollars of trade, falls under the control of China, the US will be “severely affected,” the envoy said.
Manila and Washington have bolstered their defense alliance, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expanding US access to Philippine military facilities, and holding joint drills in disputed waters.
Mr. Romualdez, a cousin of President Marcos, has been Manila’s envoy to the US since 2017. He was instrumental in stabilizing the alliance, after the relationship faced headwinds during the past administration of Rodrigo Duterte, who forged warmer ties with China and was critical of Washington.
The ambassador said he had been in touch with former Trump administration officials and other Republican leaders during the campaign.
“Our argument has always been: we want to be economically strong, economically prosperous so we would have the resources to defend ourselves, upgrade our armed forces with our own resources and whatever resources the US would be willing to assist us so that we can be a real partner,” Mr. Romualdez said. — Bloomberg
