VP Harris Talks With Philippine President Marcos Jr

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke today with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. of the Philippines and thanked him for the partnership of the Philippines and for their close working relationship over the past two and a half years, including through six meetings in Manila, Washington, D.C., Jakarta, and San Francisco. The Vice President underscored the strength of the U.S.-Philippines Alliance and people-to-people ties and noted it was critical for preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leaders reviewed progress made in the Alliance during the Biden-Harris Administration, including initiatives launched on the Vice President's November 2022 visit to the Philippines, to enhance cooperation on climate and clean energy, technology, critical minerals and semiconductor supply chains, maritime security, and inclusive economic growth. The Vice President recalled her visit to Palawan, the Philippines - the highest-ranking visit by a U.S. official ever - and reaffirmed her support for all those she met there, including women in the fishing community of Tagburos and members of the Philippine Coast Guard. The Vice President affirmed the importance of continued defense of international rules and norms in the South China Sea in the face of provocations from the People's Republic of China and noted the United States must stand with the Philippines in the face of such provocations and the enduring nature of the U.S. defense commitments to the Philippines. They also discussed trilateral cooperation with Japan as a key pillar of regional security, which the Vice President helped accelerate with the first leader-level trilateral meeting in Jakarta in September 2023.