Michael Beltran, The Interpreter:
US Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent two-day trip to the Philippines makes her the highest-ranking official from the Biden administration to visit the country. Harris got straight down to the business of letting the region know who has been the sheriff in these parts for the better part of the post-war period.
Harris met with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr then flew to Palawan province, close to waters of the South China Sea currently contested by China and the Philippines. In front of the gathered navy and fisherfolk, she reaffirmed the unwavering support of the United States in the face of Beijing’s “intimidation” and “coercion” in the territorial row.
The US may force the Philippines’ (willing) hand | Lowy Institute