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1 1 (March 3, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govecmr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Inomn the le itv eaesne11 Updated March 3, 2021 The Philippines Overview The United States and the Republic of the Philippines have a deep relationship that includes a bilateral security alliance, extensive military cooperation, close people-to- people ties, and many shared strategic and economic interests. U.S. administration of the Philippines as a colonial territory (1898-1946), which followed 300 years of Spanish rule, also shaped the relationship. Surveys indicate that support for the U.S.-Philippines relationship is strong among Filipinos. However, President Rodrigo Duterte, elected in 2016, has pursued some policies to lessen Philippine dependence on the United States, toward which he often has expressed resentment, and to develop deeper ties with China. Duterte remains popular domestically, according to opinion polls, despite an economic downturn caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, his violent antidrug campaign, and his controversial foreign policy stances. Mid-term elections in May 2019 resulted in large pro-Duterte majorities in both houses of the legislature. Duterte's term is to end in 2022 as the Philippine Constitution limits the President to one, six-year term. The next election is scheduled for May 9, 2022. Recent Developments On February 10, 2020, the Philippines submitted a notice of termination of the Philippines-U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which governs the legal status of U.S. military forces operating in the Philippines and establishes rules by which U.S. troops, vessels, and aircraft may enter the country. The Philippine government has twice suspended the termination for six months, in June 2020 and November 2020. If the suspension is not extended again, the termination will take effect 69 days after June 1, 2021. Some analysts believe that Duterte intends to leverage the VFA to negotiate better terms in the security relationship. The Philippine government has reported over 575,000 cases of COVID-19 and over 12,000 deaths from the virus. The first batch of a Chinese-made vaccine arrived on February 28, 2021. The Philippine Food and Drug Administration has also approved the British-Swedish AstraZeneca and U.S. Pfizer vaccines. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided $22.6 million in pandemic assistance to the Philippines as of September 2020. The Alliance and Defense Relations In contrast to his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, who steered the Philippines strategically towards the United States, President Duterte has sought to strengthen ties with China, the Philippines' biggest trading partner and a large source of foreign investment. However, some of Duterte's ambitions to garner major infrastructure investment from Beijing have been unsuccessful. The Philippines also has expanded its sources of military assistance, including from U.S. allies and strategic partners Australia, Japan, South Korea, and India, as well as from China and Russia. Philippines at a Glance Land Area: Slightly larger than Arizona Population: 109 million Ethnic Groups: Mostly Malay (95*o); Chinese, mixed race (Filipino-Spanish, Filipino-Chinese, Filipino-American), and other (5*%). Religious Affiliation: Roman Catholic (81*0); other Christian (9*); Muslim (5*%); other (5O) Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $877 billion (purchasing power parity). Global ranking: 29 Per Capita GDP: $8,400 (purchasing power parity) GDP Composition by Sector: Agriculture (9*%); Industry (31*o); Services (60%) Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, 2020. On February 9, 2021, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in a telephone call with Philippine Secretary of Defense Delfin Lorenzana, affirmed the U.S. commitment to the bilateral Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and emphasized the value of the VFA to the bilateral security relationship. The MDT requires the two countries to help defend each other against external armed attack. In a January 27, 2021, phone conversation between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin, Jr., Blinken stressed the importance of the MDT and its clear application to armed attacks against the Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, which includes the South China Sea. The Philippines remains the largest recipient of U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) in East Asia and a principal recipient of military assistance under the Department of Defense (DOD) Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative. U.S. military personnel and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) collaborate on counterterrorism efforts, regular joint military exercises, and humanitarian activities. Balikatan (Shoulder-to- Shoulder), the premier annual bilateral exercise, last took place in March 2019 with 7,500 U.S. and Philippine troops and a small military contingent from Australia. Balikatan 2020 was cancelled due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S.-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signed in 2014 and strongly supported by former-President Aquino, allows for the increased rotational presence of U.S. military forces, ships, and aircraft in the Philippines, although its future course is unclear given uncertainties surrounding the VFA. ,iips://crsreports.congress.gov

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