President Joe Biden hosted Ferdinand"Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the president of the Philippines and son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, at the White House on Monday as the administration seeks to shore up relationships with regional allies amid escalating tensions with China.
Marcos additionally told Biden that he hopes to"strengthen our alliance and our partnership in the face of the new economy, post-pandemic. "In short, we're showing that one of our longest-standing alliances has been renewed with tremendous momentum as we prepare together to face the challenges of the future," national security spokesman John Kirby added."It should be a good meeting, and we're excited to have President Marcos and the first lady of the Philippines here today."
The Biden administration has openly courted the younger Marcos since his presidential inauguration in 2022 despite open questions about his past corruption and recent handling of human rights abuses in his father's government.