Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. held a trilateral summit at the White House on April 11th, with Beijing as the main topic of discussion.
In light of various military actions by mainland China in the Indo-Pacific region, US President Joe Biden stated at the US-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Summit on April 11th that the US defense commitments to Japan and the Philippines are ironclad.
The U.S.-Japan-Philippines Joint Vision Statement expressed “grave concern” about the People’s Republic of China’s dangerous and aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, condemning China’s obstruction of the Philippines’ supply operations at Second Thomas Shoal as dangerous and destabilizing.
The joint statement affirmed that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are indispensable elements of global security and prosperity. It noted that the three countries’ basic positions on the Taiwan Strait remain unchanged, and they called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.
The United States has signed defense treaties with both the Philippines and Japan.
President Marcos Jr. noted that the close partnership between the Philippines, the United States, and Japan is based on a shared vision for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. He described the summit as a starting point for focused efforts, dedication to common goals, and unwavering support for the norms-based international order in the face of complex challenges.
Republican U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, who previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, and Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Kaine proposed on April 10th to provide the Philippines with $500 million per year for five consecutive years, totaling $2.5 billion, to enhance its defense capabilities against pressure from mainland China.
Senator Hagerty believes that deepening U.S.-Philippine cooperation is crucial to counter Communist China’s growing aggression in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. | A. Lee, BChannel News
About Author
