President Trump meets Tuesday with the leader of America’s oldest ally in the Pacific, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., at the White House. Marcos, the first leader of South Asian

Under a 2014 deal, called the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, or EDCA, the U.S. military has access to Philippine bases and sites for joint training and for facilities such as runways, fuel storage and troop housing. The agreement was expanded in 2023 to allow the United States access to nine locations, up from five before.

Asian governments are hoping a flurry of last-minute diplomacy will secure them better deals from the White House. Japan’s chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for more than two hours on Monday — his eighth round of trade talks with US officials.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. arrived in Washington, D.C. early Monday (Manila time) for a three-day official visit aimed at deepening the Philippines’ strategic partnership with the United States,