Like other ASEAN members, the Philippines does not formally recognise Taiwan and has shown no appetite for backing Taipei against Beijing - its biggest trade partner. There, he condemned China's drills as "a significant escalation". "The Philippines continues to look at big powers to help calm the waters and keep the peace," he said.īlinken arrived in the capital Manila on Friday after attending an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Cambodia. Manalo told Blinken the Philippines could not afford a "further escalation of tensions in the region" as it battles "significant challenges", such as reviving its pandemic-hit economy. "Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is vital not only for Taiwan but for the Philippines and many other countries," Blinken told reporters after the meeting. In virtual talks with his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo, Blinken said the United States was "determined to act responsibly" to avoid a crisis. Marcos said Pelosi's visit demonstrated the existing "intensity" of the conflict, rather than adding to tensions. The drills came in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which prompted fury in China. On Saturday, the third day of the war games, Taiwan accused the Chinese military of simulating an attack on its main island as they deployed fighter jets and warships just 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of the Philippines.
The United States has a security pact with the Philippines, and has backed the Southeast Asian nation in increasingly heated disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.īlinken's meeting with Marcos came after China launched a series of military exercises around Taiwan that the United States has condemned. Marcos hailed the "special relationship" between the two countries. "The alliance is strong and I believe can grow even stronger," Blinken told Marcos at the presidential palace.