Alliance does not mean love, any more than war means hate.
— American fascist Francis Parker Yockey

MAYPAJO, Caloocan City — There is an urgent need for Asian allies and partner countries to push newly elected United States President Donald Trump to commit to maintain a formidable American military presence in the region because no other major power can fill America's role as an effective counterweight against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea.
Geopolitical analysts have sent a clear message and it stresses the need to make sure that Trump is completely on board and to make China understand that certain behaviors and policies are not tolerable. If Washington and it's allies in Asia do not have this one voice, the leverage over Beijing is going to be very weak.
This is why it is strategically important for America under Trump to remain deeply committed to the region for its credibility to allies and friends like Japan, Taiwan and our country. We need to persuade Washington that the Indo-Pacific is very important. If they lose Taiwan, the US will totally lose face. That is something Trump cannot afford.
And amidst China’s increasing aggressive behavior, Trump's administration should now be convinced that a freely accessible and peaceful South China Sea and regional stability in general would foster global trade and commerce that is extremely important to the American economy and interests.
Simply said, no single country can do what is needed to be done on its own. The truth is that American power is needed.
But there have been mixed signs so far of how Trump’s external policy will eventually unfold in the early days of his new four-year term, a crucial time to reach out to him and his key Cabinet members as they set their priorities and focus. On his historic return to the White House, Trump signed an executive order that temporarily suspended all American foreign assistance programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals. It was not immediately clear how much and what exact types of assistance would be affected and where, including defense and military support.
Still, there are positive signs. On his first day as US Secretary of State, former Florida senator Marco Rubio held talks with counterparts from Australia, India and Japan, all members of the so-called Quad security bloc, which includes the US, in a meeting that sent a signal that Washington would stay committed to its regional allies.
A joint statement issued after the QUAD meeting, the first under Trump, reaffirmed “shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and defended” amid “increasing threats.”
Without naming China, they expressed strong opposition to “any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.”
Meanwhile, the Philippines and New Zealand have begun negotiating an agreement to boost defense ties in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond in the face of China's growing confidence in asserting its claims over the hotspot South China Sea.
The first round of negotiations, which marks an important step in strengthening bilateral defense ties between the two countries, was held recently with New Zealand's ambassador to the Philippines Catherine Macintosh in attendance.
The Status of Visiting Forces Agreement will provide the legal framework for both countries "to elevate their cooperative activities and conduct exercises in each other's territories, deepening overall defense and military cooperation.
Last month, the Philippine Senate ratified the same defense agreement with Japan. The Southeast Asian country has also signed similar defense pacts with the United States, Australia and has begun talks with France.

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