President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and US President Donald Trump speak by phone on Thursday evening, according to the Philippines’ Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and the US Embassy’s confirmation. The PCO says Trump assured Marcos that he will raise Philippines concerns in his next meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The US Ambassador to the Philippines, Lee Lipton, also confirms the call, saying it supports regular communication between the two leaders.
GMA News reports that the phone conversation covers global economic and security issues, including recent developments in the South China Sea. Bloomberg likewise reports that Trump tells Marcos he will take up Manila’s concerns with Xi at a future meeting.
Across the reports, the key points are the coordination between Marcos and Trump and the commitment—communicated by Trump to Marcos—to bring Philippine issues to the agenda when Trump meets Xi. The sources do not provide detailed information on the specific concerns or the timing of the Trump-Xi meeting.
