Philippines may benefit from any pivot to Asia by Biden admin —Lorenzana

The Philippines may benefit if there is a renewed emphasis on Asia by the new administration of US President Joe Biden, which could help act as a counterbalance to China in the region, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Friday.

At a virtual forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), Lorenzana said the year 2021 "promises to start a new era for the US-Philippine relations" under Biden's leadership.

"Being one of the America's allies in the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines may benefit from the Biden administration's anticipated pivot to Asia strategy," he said.

"Thus we welcome with great optimism the change of leadership in the US government, hoping that the strong and reliable friendship between Philippines and the US would flourish ever further."

Lorenzana stressed that the decades-old alliance of the Philippines and the US "has endured multiple changes of administration on both sides amid numerous challenges in the relationship."

Biden was sworn in as US president last January 21 after he defeated Donald Trump in the November 2020 US elections.

The US has been involved in territorial issues in the West Philippine Sea as it strongly opposes China's massive claims in the resource-rich region.

The country also promotes freedom of navigation in the area.

Lorenzana also said during the FOCAP forum that the longstanding geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Beijing will continue to test the Philippines' adeptness in balancing relations. --with Neil Jerome Morales/Reuters