Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 14) — The Philippines, the United States, and Japan have renewed their commitments to strengthening trilateral cooperation as Beijing continues to launch aggressive behavior in the South China Sea.
According to a readout from the White House, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor Akiba Takeo of Japan, and National Security Advisor Eduardo Año of the Philippines made a trilateral call on Wednesday “to reaffirm their commitment to freedom of navigation and international law in the South China Sea and East China Sea…They raised their concerns about China’s “dangerous and unlawful” actions in the West Philippine Sea as they urged Beijing anew to honor the 2016 ruling, which rejected its sweeping maritime claims in the contested waterways.
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Amid this development, the officials vowed to boost trilateral efforts in defense and security capabilities in order to “maintain a free and open maritime order…”
The three NSAs reaffirmed their decision to conduct close trilateral coordination over the coming months to advance their shared interests in a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the statement read.US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. had also a phone call, where the former reiterated America’s “ironclad” commitment to the Philippines.
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