Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr made it clear Thursday the additional military bases in his country that he recently granted the United States access to will not be used to target China or any other country.
Speaking at a think-tank event, Marcos also said the simple answer is "no" when asked if the United States has requested that his government contribute troops for combat operations should a war break out between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan.
His remarks just before wrapping up his four-day visit to Washington came at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and China, which are locked in geopolitical competition.
China has dialled up pressure not only on Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory, but also on the Philippines with what Marcos called the "intimidation" of vessels in the South China Sea.
Marcos in February granted the United States access to four more bases, raising the number that American forces can use in the Philippines to nine, under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement that has made it even more difficult for him to walk a delicate diplomatic tightrope.
Marcos, who agreed with US President Joe Biden this week to boost defence and economic cooperation, stressed that the additional bases were intended to be used in response to natural disasters, including quickly providing rescue and relief assistance.
At the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Marcos also disclosed that the US has "never brought up the possibility" of using the sites for any offensive action against any country.
The president, whose Washington visit marked the first in more than a decade by a Philippine leader, said he believes that Manila and Washington are "in lockstep" on the matter and US officials are aware of the Philippines' concerns.
The Philippines, the United States' oldest security ally in the Indo-Pacific, has long been embroiled in a territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea.
Situated near Taiwan and strategically important sea lanes, the Biden administration regards the Philippines and the enhancement of the bilateral alliance as crucial to raising the level of deterrence against China.
However, since taking office almost a year ago, Marcos has repeatedly said the Philippines' foreign policy will be independent and Manila will not choose sides between the United States and China, while making efforts to rebuild ties with Washington and its partners.
Under his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, bilateral relations were frayed due to his pro-China, anti-US stance.
Marcos, who did not hold a joint press conference with Biden and had made almost no public comments on security issues during his stay in the US capital, emphasised at Thursday's event that the Philippines' policy is to be "a friend to all and an enemy to none."
