Biden hails the Philippines as "no better partner"

US President Joe Biden met with Philippine President Marcos at the White House last May 1 to discuss regional security issues, particularly China's aggressive activities in the South China Sea. Biden hailed Marcos as a "better partner" in facing new challenges of the century. The two leaders initially met in New York last year, where Marcos emphasized the need for a strong alliance to evolve as challenges arise in the new century. Biden recognized the strong partnership and "deep friendship" between the two countries, emphasizing the US's commitment to the defense of the Philippines, including the South China Sea. In response, Marcos highlighted the need to strengthen alliances and partnerships amid the post-pandemic world's geopolitical issues.

The South China Sea is a busy sea lane where over $5 trillion in goods pass through annually, but it is also the subject of a longstanding maritime dispute involving China, which claims virtually the entire area. Meanwhile, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Taiwan have overlapping claims. In 2016, an arbitral court based in The Hague invalidated China's expansive claim, which Beijing refused to recognize.

According to a senior US official, the Marcos visit was the