President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “Independent” Foreign Policy and the Philippines’ Position in the New World Order

Abstract

In the Southeast Asian region, the Philippines plays an important role in the strategies of the United States and China. The Philippine government is trying to establish a balance between the two world powers and at the same time take advantage of this situation. This goal is also served by the ‘independent’ foreign policy of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in 2022. The aim of this paper is to briefly summarise the key elements of Marcos’ foreign policy halfway through his term. It emphasises that, despite the risks, closer cooperation with the United States currently appears to be more rewarding, while geopolitical tensions with China are limiting the full development of the economic partnership.