Published:  14 Feb 2025

Author: Julio S. Amador III

The US-Philippines alliance is expected to be reinforced in the Trump 2.0 administration. It will, however, be tested given existing regional flashpoints and the need to follow through commitments pledged in previous years.

The 2024 United States presidential election, pitting former president Donald Trump against Vice President Kamala Harris, was watched closely by all states within the US-led alliance system, but the Philippines remained ambivalent because both candidates have pledged their commitments to the alliance. 

The key difference would be in how each candidate approaches the alliance and pushes it forward. In the lead-up to the elections, the Philippines only sought clarity on their positions. Harris was supportive of the alliance and was seen as bringing strategic continuity. Likewise, Trump has a history of support for the alliance. Most notably, it was under his leadership that the alliance blossomed into having concrete deterrence measures. The US-Philippines alliance’s foremost concern is China, and this remains a bipartisan issue within the US political establishment.

For full article, please open the link:

https://fulcrum.sg/trump-2-0-and-the-us-philippines-alliance-consistency-and-change/

The article was published by ISEAS.

IRSEA and ISEAS have agreed to enter into a relationship of cooperation.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or view of IRSEA