Washington: The US commitment to defending its ally is "ironclad," according to President Joe Biden, including in the South China Sea, where Manila is facing pressure from China. On Monday, Biden spoke with his counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

At the White House for the first time in ten years, Marcos emphasised the significance of the US as the only treaty ally of the Philippines in what he called "arguably the most complicated geopolitical situation in the world right now."

In a visit that represents a significant improvement in US-Philippine relations, the two nations reaffirmed their long-standing security partnership as they look for ways to respond to what they perceive as China's increasingly aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea and close to Taiwan.

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According to US officials, the leaders would also decide on new rules for increased economic and military cooperation.

In the Oval Office, Biden assured Marcos that "the United States remains ironclad in our commitment to the defence of the Philippines, including the South China Sea."

This, according to a joint statement, meant that any armed attack on Philippine military forces, civilian aircraft, or ships in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, would trigger US obligations under a 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty.

The Philippines, which China claims as its own territory, are crucial to any effort to thwart an invasion of Taiwan by China, according to Washington. An Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement recently saw Manila agree to grant the US access to four more of its military bases, but neither side has specified what US assets will be stationed there.

According to their joint statement, the leaders "affirm the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity."

US relations deteriorated under Marcos' predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who swung the Philippines sharply away from its former colonial master and strengthened ties with China.

Biden has made an investment in courting Marcos, who continues to be subject to a US court ruling regarding $2 billion in stolen wealth under his father's rule.

The new guidelines, according to US officials, focused on military cooperation across all domains, including land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. The US administration would also transfer three C-130 aircraft to the Philippines and look to send more patrol boats there as well.

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In light of the escalating tensions we are currently witnessing throughout the South China, Asia Pacific, and Indo-Pacific regions, Marcos stated that it is only natural for the Philippines to turn to its lone treaty partner in the world in order to strengthen and redefine our relationship and the roles that we play.

The summit is the highlight of Marcos' four-day visit to the US, which began on Sunday.

Since the US and China are competing for sway in the Indo-Pacific, Marcos has sought to build cordial ties with both nations. The Chinese government was not mentioned in the joint Biden-Marcos statement.

According to experts, Washington is considering deploying rocket, missile, and artillery systems in the Philippines to fend off a Chinese amphibious assault on Taiwan.

The South China Sea fishing rights will be discussed, but Marcos told reporters on his plane that he would not allow the Philippines to be used as a "staging post" for military action and that China had agreed to do so.

Biden would send a Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines, according to the joint statement, to encourage investment in the transition to clean energy, the crucial minerals sector, and food security.

The Indo-Pacific Business Forum, the premier US business event in the region, would also be co-hosted by the two nations in Manila in 2024, further solidifying the Philippines' position as an important hub for regional supply chains.

In the statement, it was also stated that the nations welcomed trilateral cooperation with Japan and Australia.

The harassment of Philippine ships and fishermen in areas of the South China Sea that both countries claim has angered many Filipinos, and there is growing public support in the country for taking a more aggressive stance against Beijing.

After Marcos' election, Biden was the first elected official to contact him, and he has made developing military and economic ties in the Indo-Pacific region a central tenet of his foreign policy.

Before the summit, US lawmakers from both parties wrote to Biden urging him to bring up what they described as the escalating "crisis" in human rights in the Philippines.

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According to them, Duterte committed violations that were well-documented, but recent reports indicated "ongoing impunity." They cited reports from the Karapatan Human Rights Alliance that there had been 825 political prisoners overall, 165 wrongful arrests between July and December 2022, and 17 extrajudicial killings. According to a White House summary, the two nations' discussions included human rights.