11/29/2023

How the U.S. Courted the Philippines to Thwart China

Washington needs Manila in its camp to defend against China

Shortly after winning the presidency of the Philippines in May of last year, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. took his first congratulatory call from a foreign head of state.

U.S. President Joe Biden was on the line.

Biden's speed in wishing the new president well delighted Marcos, according to brother-in-law Gregorio Maria Aranetal, III, who said the Philippine leader proudly told his family about that call a few days later over lunch. It "put a smile on his face," Araneta, one of the country's most prominent tycoons, told Reuters in a rare interview, speaking from his wood-paneled office in Manila.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Reuters.