ABSTRACT

The longstanding diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United States show remarkable continuity devoid of any longstanding conflicts or disagreements. In this chapter it is argued that strong normative and strategical congruencies between the two countries’ foreign policies as well as a flexible bilateral security treaty network account for this continuity. Shared foreign policy principles and material interests are underpinned by ties reaching back to the colonial past of the Philippines which resulted not in complete political detachment from the U.S. after independence but to a prolonged dependency. Moreover, specific international circumstance and their respective challenges – WWII, the Cold War, China’s rise, 9/11, the U.S. pivot to Asia and the South China Sea issue – have largely been perceived in the similar manner by both countries. As these relatively stable diplomatic relations are institutionalized by a network of bilateral treaties within the U.S.-led hubs-and-spokes regional security architecture there is reason to believe that they will also remain largely unchanged despite populist leaders having come to power in both countries.