©Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo speaks during the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit Maritime Cooperation Forum, in Melbourne, Australia, March 4, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File Photo
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines’ foreign minister said on Tuesday the challenge ahead was how to further support and improve relations between his country and long-time ally the United States.
Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo thanked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a joint press conference for his country’s support regarding the recent incidents in the South China Sea.
In recent months, the Philippines and China have exchanged sharp rebukes and protests over each other’s actions in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway that carries trillions of dollars in global trade every year.
Manalo said his country was committed to handling disputes in a rules-based order.
Blinken said: “We share concerns about China’s actions that threaten our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Waterways are critical to the interests of the region, the United States and the world.”