Biden: US-Philippines ‘ironclad’ partners amid China tension

By AAMER MADHANI and JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden reiterated U.S. commitment to the Philippines’ security and noted the “deep friendship” of the two nations as he welcomed Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for White House talks Monday as concerns grow about the Chinese navy’s harassment of Philippine vessels in the South China Sea. Marcos’ White House visit on Monday comes after the two countries completed their largest joint war drills ever. The Philippines this year agreed to give the U.S. military access to four more bases as the Biden administration looks to deter China’s increasingly aggressive actions toward Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea.