Analyst: New opportunities for US-Philippines alliance under Trump's new strategy

MANILA, Philippines — US President Donald Trump's National Security Strategy, despite being consistent with his "America First" policy, offers opportunities to enhance US-Philippines alliance, an analyst said.

Last December, Trump unveiled a new NSS, which is organized into four pillars — protect the homeland, promote American prosperity, preserve peace through strength and advance American influence.

Under the third pillar, the US seeks to rebuild its military strength to protect their diplomatic, information, military and economic interests.

"We will ensure the balance of power remains in America’s favor in key regions of the world: the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East," the White House fact sheet read.

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In a commentary published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, National Defense College of the Philippines senior defense research officer Christian Vicedo said that Washinton's security interest and priorities in the Indo-Pacific would have an impact on the US-Philippines alliance.

China's artificial islands in the South China Sea, North Korea's nuclear threat and the rise of terrorism and radical extremism are the three regional security issues mentioned in the NSS.

Vicedo noted that addressing the three regional concerns would entail US security commitment to allies and partners in the region.

"As a result, while Trump’s NSS reiterates transactional principles of economic reciprocity and burden-sharing in confronting common threats, the possibility of a diminishing US security commitment to the Philippines seems unlikely," Vicedo said.

The new security strategy promotes increased cooperation among the US, Japan, Australia and India. The Philippines also has defense and security ties with all these countries.

"Indeed, linking US allies and partners may provide a strategic advantage for the US-Philippines alliance in addressing future traditional and nontraditional security concerns such as a more assertive China in the South China Sea or a major terrorist attack similar to the Marawi Siege," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Trump's bilateral meeting last November, as well as the bilateral strategic dialogue between US and Philippine senior defense and foreign affairs officials, also underscore the two countries' commitment as allies.

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Following his visit to Manila, Trump described the Philippines as a “prime piece of real estate from a military standpoint.”

"The complementarity and opportunities offered by President Trump’s National Security Strategy may re-energize security engagements between the two countries," Vicedo said.