The Philippines, together with its key allies Japan and the United States, is pushing for stronger maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
During the Japan-US-Philippines Maritime Dialogue held in Tokyo on Tuesday, the three nations reaffirmed their commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes, adherence to the rule of law, and recognition of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.
“Japan and the US expressed their support for the Philippines’ consistent efforts toward a peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea,” Japan stated in a press release.
“[They] reiterated their strong expectation that the parties to the disputes would comply with the Arbitral Tribunal’s award as to the disputes between the Republic of the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China regarding the South China Sea, thereby leading to peaceful settlement of disputes,” it added.
The trilateral dialogue emphasized the importance of collaboration to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific rooted in the rule of law.
Earlier, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reiterated its commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and the preservation of a rules-based international order. This came as the Philippines marked the 42nd anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The DFA also underscored the importance of the 2016 Arbitral Award in the South China Sea, urging the international community to uphold its principles.
“UNCLOS is a testament to our unwavering belief in the peaceful means of settling disputes, and the rule of law and the rules-based international order. We adhered to UNCLOS’ dispute resolution mechanisms through the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration, underscoring that claims exceeding geographic and substantive limits of maritime entitlements under UNCLOS are without legal effect,” DFA Spokesperson Teresita Daza stated.
“The Philippines takes immense pride in its contributions to the negotiation and the promotion of UNCLOS,” she added.