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Wednesday, February 5, 2025

PH, US, Japan underscore need for peaceful, secure Indo-Pacific

The Philippines, United States, and Japan underscored the importance of fostering a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, underpinned by shared values such as democracy, the rule of law, and human rights during a virtual trilateral meeting between the leaders of the three countries on Monday.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reaffirmed their commitment to deepen trilateral cooperation, particularly in economic, maritime, and technological areas

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“I am confident that our three countries will continue to work together closely to sustain the gains that we have made in enhancing and deepening our ties,” Mr. Marcos said.

The meeting followed the adoption of the Trilateral Joint Vision Statement during a summit in Washington in April where the leaders outlined shared priorities, including maritime security, economic resilience, and clean energy collaboration.

Biden, for his part, commended Mr. Marcos for his diplomatic approach in addressing disputes in the West Philippine Sea in the face of China’s “aggressive and coercive activities.”

“Simply put, our countries have an interest in continuing this partnership and institutionalizing our cooperation across our governments so that it is built to last. I’m optimistic that my successor will also see the value of continuing this partnership, and that it is framed the right way,” he added.

The three countries have stepped up security cooperation to blunt China’s efforts to control most of the region’s waters.

In December, the United States, Japan and the Philippines also held a multilateral maritime cooperative activity to demonstrate joint commitment to safeguarding international waters and ensuring free navigation in the Indo-Pacific region in light of rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea and beyond.

Biden also praised the alliance’s progress since the April summit, highlighting advancements in maritime and economic security, as well as in technology cooperation.

“We’ve made historic progress in our trilateral partnership, especially in areas of maritime security, economic security, and high-quality infrastructure investments,” the outgoing US leader said.

Ishiba echoed the sentiments of his counterparts, emphasizing the importance of ongoing collaboration.

“Going forward, it is important to deepen trilateral cooperation in a variety of fields,” he said. With AFP

Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Philippines, US, Japan pledge to deepen trilateral ties.”

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