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Does the Philippines’ Strategic Location Mean Anything to Trump?

Eduardo Araral
25 July 2025clock5 Minute Read
President Donald Trump meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Washington.

Making a Deal: President Donald Trump meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Washington. Image: Alex Brandon / Associated Press / Alamy Stock

The failure of the trade negotiations now underway between the US and the Philippines would reinforce the perception that US alliances have morphed into pay-to-play schemes – and expensive ones, at that. Many others, not least China, are watching closely.

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