During his visit to the Philippines last weekend, China’s foreign minister had a stern message for President Ferdinand E. Marcos Jr. He emphasized the importance of Manila “properly handling issues” related to Taiwan and the South China Sea and following through on its earlier commitment not to choose sides.
However, on Wednesday, Mr. Marcos attended the Philippines’ annual military drills with the United States, dressed in an army fatigue jacket and closely inspecting an American rocket launcher. He later sat next to the American ambassador as they watched artillery units take out a target ship nearby.
This joint military exercise marks the first time in a decade that a Philippine president has participated, sending an unambiguous message that the Filipino government is pivoting back towards its oldest ally, the United States, after years of mostly tolerating China’s aggressive campaign of pressing territorial disputes with the Philippines.
This desire to align with the United States comes…
2023-04-26 06:55:37
Original from www.nytimes.com