Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. received assurances from top U.S. officials during a visit to Washington that the United States' alliance with his country remains ironclad despite unilateral tariffs and demands that American allies spend more on defense.
Marcos met separately with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department, with both top U.S. officials pointing to China as a top mutual threat.
Marcos was due to meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday, where the Philippine leader will aim to secure a trade deal before an Aug. 1 deadline while fending off demands to dole out more cash for defense.
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