Joe Biden will host the leaders of the Philippines and Japan for a joint summit on April 11 in Washington, the White House announced Monday March 18, a first between the three countries worried about the rise of China.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and the American president will jointly defend
“a common vision for a
free and open Indo-Pacific
”
, declared in a press release the spokesperson for the American executive Karine Jean- Pierre, referring to China.
Its growing power in the region worries the United States and many of its allies, pushing them to strengthen their cooperation in the face of this common adversary.
The summit will take place the day after a state visit by the Japanese prime minister to the American capital, already announced.
And Joe Biden will receive President Marcos for a bilateral meeting after the tripartite summit.
The summit announcement came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Manila, a trip that the State Department said reaffirms the
United States'
"unwavering commitment" to the Philippines.
China recently accused Washington of using the Philippines as a “pawn” in the South China Sea, after several incidents around islets that the two Asian countries bitterly dispute.
For a “free and open international order”
On April 11,
“the leaders will reaffirm the ironclad alliances between the United States and the Philippines, and between the United States and Japan
,” Karine Jean-Pierre further declared in the press release.
Japan hopes that the discussions will promote a
“free and open international order based on the rules of law
,” said Japanese government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi.
“With the Japan-US alliance as its pivot, we believe that deepening cooperation with like-minded countries in many areas like the Philippines will be essential to maintaining peace and security. prosperity in this region
,” he told the press.
In November, Philippine and Japanese leaders announced the start of negotiations for a defense agreement that will allow the deployment of soldiers from both countries on their respective territories.
Joe Biden assured his Filipino counterpart of his
“unwavering”
support during a visit to the White House in May 2023, promising to
“support the modernization”
of the Philippine army.
The American president also welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his South Korean counterpart a few months ago to his Camp David residence for a summit supposed to send, there too, a firm message of unity in the face of Beijing.
During a meeting between Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November in California, the two leaders renewed dialogue, without really curbing the keen competition between the two largest economies on the planet.