Biden to host Jan. 12 online meeting with Marcos, Ishiba

2024 SUMMIT: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., US President Joe Biden, and then Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meet at theWhite House on April 11, 2024, for a first-ever trilateral summit. It was seen as a show of solidarity as China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea raised tensions in the region. —Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — As part of “efforts toward a secure Indo-Pacific region,” United States President Joe Biden will host a trilateral phone call with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Sunday, eight days before the American leader steps down.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cesar Chavez confirmed the meeting in a message to Malacañang reporters.

“We can confirm that this is in the calendar of the President on Jan. 12, Sunday,” Chavez said, referring to the call.

The Palace did not give details as to the time of the phone call or the agenda to be discussed by Marcos, Biden, and Ishiba.

On Wednesday, a senior White House official said Biden will host a virtual meeting with the leaders of Japan and the Philippines during his final overseas trip to Italy.

Biden will leave for Rome and Vatican City on Thursday to meet with Italian leaders, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis.

Biden’s national security spokesperson John Kirby did not say when the three-way virtual meeting will take place, telling reporters only that it will be held before the president heads back to Washington. Biden, known to be a pious Catholic, is due to stay in Italy through Sunday.

Kirby said the meeting with Mr. Marcos and Ishiba was aimed at further strengthening “our trilateral partnership and our efforts toward a secure Indo-Pacific region.”

Biden organized the first-ever summit of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines in April last year, as part of his administration’s attempt to push back against China’s ambitions in the region.

A day after Biden hosted then-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an official meeting and a lavish state dinner in Washington, the three leaders expressed “serious concerns” about China’s “dangerous and aggressive” actions in the South China Sea.

The major initiatives agreed upon by the three leaders included assisting Philippine defense modernization efforts and making plans to conduct a joint maritime exercise of naval forces around Japan in 2025.

Biden will leave office on Jan. 20, giving way to his successor Donald Trump.

Kirby said the upcoming trip to Italy will be his last overseas trip as US president.

The White House said last month that Biden will have an audience with the pontiff on Friday to “discuss efforts to advance peace around the world.”