Biden seeks closer ties with Philippines after ‘rocky’ past

By AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden has pledged in his first face-to-face meeting with new Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to work to strengthen relations with the key Pacific nation after what he acknowledged had been some “rocky times” in the past. The leaders met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. They discussed tensions in the South China Sea, the long-standing security relationship between the United States and the Philippines, the state of the global economy, and other issues. Biden said they would also address human rights. Marcos is the son and namesake of the country’s former dictator. He took office in June.