WASHINGTON, July 24 – During a meeting with visiting Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump told media, “I don’t mind if he gets along with China, because we’re getting along with China very well.” The comment was seen by the media as catching Marcos off guard, interpreting it as a stunning message to the Philippine president regarding China.
When asked how he plans to balance his country’s relationships between the US and China, Marcos said there was no need to balance. “Our strongest partner has always been the US,” Marcos said.
However, in response, Trump said “We’re getting along with China very well. And I don’t mind if the president dealt with China, you know, because I think he has to do what’s right for his country.”
“I’ve always said, you know, make the Philippines great again. Do whatever you need to do, but [if] you’re dealing with China, wouldn’t bother me at all,” Trump said.
Marcos is hoping that his meeting with Trump will help secure Manila’s status as a key Asian ally and lead to a more favorable trade deal before the August 1 deadline, Reuters reported. The Associated Press also noted that the Philippine president’s three-day visit underscores the importance of the US-Philippines alliance at a time when tensions between China and the Philippines remain high over disputes in the South China Sea.
The Hindustan Times described Trump’s message to Marcos as “stunning.”
Trump also said he will probably visit China “in the not too distant future,” in answer to a question during his meeting with Marcos, per AP.
Trump’s remarks on the China-Philippines relationship reflect his “America First” strategy, indicating that the US may not offer unconditional support for the Philippines’ stance in tensions with China in the South China Sea, Xu Liping, Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.
Xu cautioned that Trump’s remarks should not be interpreted as a signal that the US is ready to abandon its South China Sea strategy in containing China. “The US wants to control when and how to play this card; the Philippines is merely a pawn in this strategy,” Xu added.
After meeting with Marcos, Trump announced a reduction in tariffs on the Philippines, but it was merely a token one percent cut.
Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that the US would impose a 19 percent tariff rate on the Philippines, only down 1 percent from a 20 percent tariff he threatened starting August 1. In return, he said, the Philippines would have an open market and the US would not pay tariffs.
Trump wrote that Marcos’ visit was “beautiful,” and it was a “Great Honor” to host such a “very good, and tough, negotiator,” AP reported.
Taking note of the small reduction, Reuters reported on Wednesday that “US-Philippines trade talks yield modest tariff shift after Trump-Marcos meeting.” “The new tariff rate is just below the 20 percent threatened by Trump earlier this month, but still above the 17 percent rate set in April when Trump announced what he called reciprocal tariff rates for dozens of countries. It matches the 19 percent rate announced for Indonesia and bests Vietnam’s slightly higher rate of 20 percent,” Reuters reported.
In an article titled “Marcos leaves empty-handed in face-to-face with Trump,” the Asia Times reported that “Philippines had only received a slight change in the planned tariffs on its goods to the US.”
Marcos’ trip to the US did not bring the tangible benefits he had hoped for, Xu said. In reality, the Philippines hoped to have received a lower rate than 19 percent, especially considering that the initial US tariff on them was 17 percent. “Therefore, it’s fair to say that Marcos returned empty-handed,” Xu noted. – Global Times
