As the second Trump administration assembled, the Philippines appeared relatively sanguine about the prospects of stronger bilateral relations. The elevation of China hawks such as new Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has argued for stronger assistance to Asian allies, was encouraging to Manila, which has been grappling with festering maritime disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea.
The appointment of so-called “prioritisers” such as Elbridge Colby as undersecretary for policy at the Pentagon was just as reassuring. After all, Colby, the former architect of the 2018 National Defence Strategy, has been a major proponent of an Asia-focused American foreign policy away from…