The US-Japan-Philippines trilateral showcased on Thursday was the latest in a series of groupings started or reinvigorated by the Biden administration as it works to counter a more economically and militarily assertive China in the region.
“This meeting can be just a beginning,” said Marcos. “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.”
One wrinkle in the US-Philippines mutual defence treaty, however, is that it was written to cover a military attack, not so-called grey-zone tactics that have often seen Chinese “fishing boats”, “maritime safety” and other vessels impede voyages by US, Philippines and other allied nations in actions that do not trigger the treaty.
The Japan-US-Philippines trilateral summit aims to make tangible US and Japanese encouragement for the Southeast Asian nation that has often found itself on the front lines of regional tension because of its position between the western Pacific’s first and second island chains.
US-Japan summit yields 70 deals, pledge to continue China dialogue
“Freedom of the seas isn’t an abstraction for a country like the Philippines, with over 7,500 islands,” said Daniel Russel of the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former State Department official.
The summit follows Sunday’s joint US, Japanese, Australian and Philippines military patrols in the South China Sea involving six warships and four aircraft, with a pledge of more joint military and coastguard patrols ahead. China held its own patrol the same day, saying that foreign efforts to “sabotage the situation” were well under control.The US has also supported the Philippines at this “difficult moment” by raising concerns about the confrontations diplomatically “in private at the highest level all the time,” including during a recent call between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, a senior administration official said before the summit.In addition to reiterating American alliance commitments to the Philippines, the president clearly voiced Washington’s concern over Beijing’s actions around the Second Thomas Shoal, area claimed by Manila that has seen repeated Chinese aggressiveness, during the call, she added.
“Today’s meeting will make history,” Kishida said as the three leaders sat around a U-shaped table along with several respective cabinet officials.
“Japan, the US and the Philippines are maritime nations connected by the Pacific Ocean and are natural partners,” he added. “We share fundamental values and principles and have supported regional economic development in order to secure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”
“Patching up small blocs, stirring up confrontation under the excuse of cooperation, upholding peace and order in name but flexing military muscle and stoking chaos in nature do not meet the trend for peace and development,” said spokesman Liu Pengyu.
“We will also be firm in upholding territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”
In addition to the South China Sea, senior officials said the three leaders discussed a wide range of security-related issues, including the East China Sea, North Korea’s “illicit nuclear and missile programme” and the Taiwan Strait.Activists slam Sino-US rivalry in Philippines’ maritime zone in South China Sea
Washington and Tokyo also offered several Philippine-focused initiatives related to energy security, connectivity, military modernisation, semiconductor supply chains, pre-positioning of disaster relief aid and foreign investment in undersea cables, logistics and telecommunications.Among the companies involved were Meta, UPS, GreenFire Energy and Astranis telecommunications satellites.
“The US, Japan and the Philippines are three closely aligned maritime democracies with increasingly convergent strategic objectives and interests,” said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. “This week is a culmination of months of effort.”
In a “vision statement” released after the three leaders met, the group pledged to advance together “for decades to come”.
“A new trilateral chapter between our three nations begins today,” it added.
On Wednesday, two US senators introduced a bipartisan bill that would provide Manila with US$2.5 billion to strengthen its defences against Chinese pressure.
The bill, put forward by Republican Bill Hagerty from Tennessee, a former ambassador to Japan, and Democrat Tim Kaine of Virginia, authorises US$500 million a year in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant assistance to the Philippines over the five fiscal years to 2029.
Although the first trip Marcos took after gaining power two years ago was to Beijing, where he was warmly received, he shifted gears soon after entering office, engaging in a policy of what some call “radical transparency”.
“Whereas the previous president was seen as much more soft on China and critical of the United States, Marcos brought in the media and publicised incidents that were already increasing in their intensity and sharpness,” said Sarang Shidore of the Quincy Institute, a Washington-based think tank.
“He sort of brought focus on the dispute in a way that wasn’t there in the previous six years,” Shidore said.
While many Asian nations bridle at China’s assertive policies, albeit perhaps less vocally than the Philippines or Japan, analysts said they do not see much likelihood of an Asian Nato-type structure emerging.Singapore, Philippines, Japan, Thailand should all join Nato, ex-chief says
“I think the consensus is that that’s probably a bridge too far. And it’s not at all clear that our Asian allies and partners would sign on to an Asian Nato,” said Mike Mochizuki of George Washington University.
“I think American policymakers understand that, moving towards some kind of Nato collective defence pact, is unrealistic.”
Asian views of China were decidedly mixed, Shidore added.
“All the states, including the Philippines and others, are very much tied to what has emerged as an Asian-economic complex that has been in many ways highly successful in the last 30 or 40 years,” he said.
“And that’s not something states want to entirely threaten.”
Additional reporting provided by Khushboo Razdan in Washington
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