Marcos: PH-US-Japan summit ‘a natural progression’ of deeper ties

President Joe Biden, center, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pose before a trilateral meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States — The three-way summit of the Philippines, US, and Japan is “a natural progression of deepening relations and robust cooperation” among allies in the Indo-Pacific region, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday.

Marcos, at the start of the trilateral meeting here, said the conference was not created out of convenience or just because it was practical, stressing the shared belief of the three countries in democracy and the rule of law.

“We meet today as friends and partners, bound by a shared vision and pursuit of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” he said.

“It is a partnership, borne not out of convenience nor of expediency, but as a natural progression of a deepening relations and robust cooperation amongst our three nations, linked by a profound respect for democracy, good governance, and the rule of law,” he added.

Marcos also said he believes that his meeting with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio at the White House is just the start of stronger ties and more coordinated efforts toward promoting a rules-based international order.

Marcos said the summit “looks ahead” – indicating that the discussions should translate to improvements for all three countries, whether it be in line with the economy, climate change resiliency, or regional security.

President Joe Biden, center, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, attend a trilateral meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“But this meeting can be just a beginning. Facing the complex challenges of our time requires concerted efforts on everyone’s part, a dedication to a common purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the rules-based international order,” he said.

“This is a meeting that looks ahead. As we deepen our ties and enhance our coordination, we seek to identify ways of growing our economies and making them more resilient, climate-proofing our cities and our societies, sustaining our development progress, and forging a peaceful world for the next generation,” he added.

Before Marcos delivered his speech, Biden reaffirmed his country’s promise of pursuing stronger ties with the Philippines and Japan – both treaty allies in the Indo-Pacific – saying that defense commitments to the two Asian countries are “ironclad.”

Biden likewise restated that any attack on a Philippine aircraft, vessel, or armed forces in the South China Sea will invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) that requires both the US and the Philippines to send support if a party is being attacked.

The trilateral summit is the first-ever meeting of the Philippines, US, and Japan. It also comes in the midst of an increased tension in the South China Sea with Beijing’s demonstration of hostile behavior and Philippine officials complaining about China’s intrusive actions in the West Philippine Sea.

China’s so-called “gray-zone” harassment has included shining military-grade lasers at the Philippine Coast Guard, firing water cannons at vessels and ramming into Philippine ships near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, which both Manila and Beijing claim.

In 1999, Manila intentionally ran a World War II-era ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, aground on the shoal, establishing a permanent military presence there.