IRIA News

U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged to defend the Philippines from any attack in the South China Sea as he hosted the leaders of the Philippines and Japan for a joint summit in Washington amid growing tensions with China.

“The United States defense commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad. They’re ironclad,” Biden said as he began three-way talks at the White House as he met the Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a first-of-its-kind trilateral summit. “When we stand as one, we’re able to forge a better future for all,” Biden said.

Biden’s comments come amid the latest tensions between Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels in the disputed waterway.

Speaking at the start of three-way talks at the White House, Biden said that “any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defense treaty”. He was referencing the 1951 mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines – the oldest and the world’s longest-lived mutual defense treaty that stipulates both sides would help defend each other if either were attacked by a third party.

While the three leaders did not specify China by name, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is considered closer to Washington than his more China-leaning predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, said that they share an “unwavering commitment to the rules-based international order”. Kishida said that “multi-layered cooperation is essential”.

Thanks to @POTUS' global leadership, today's first-ever U.S.-Philippines-Japan summit will usher in new era of trilateral cooperation.

This partnership will protect American families, keep our economy competitive, and ensure the Indo-Pacific remains open, prosperous, and secure. pic.twitter.com/I2TuUEkpea

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 11, 2024

In a 3+3 format meeting, U.S. Secretary Blinken, Secretary of Defense Austin, and National Security Advisor Sullivan met with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, and Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo M. Año in Washington, DC, following the historic Japan-Philippines-United States Trilateral Leaders’ Summit on April 11, 2024. U.S. officials reiterated the United States’ ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Philippine Alliance and the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

The U.S. and Japan reaffirmed their shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and discussed ways to deepen coordination regarding shared challenges in the South China Sea. They also discussed increasing U.S. support for the modernization of the Philippines armed forces to improve interoperability in the region.

Regional disputes

Japan and the Philippines both have separate territorial disputes with China. Philippines-China tensions mainly concentrate on Second Thomas Shoal, which is about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the coast of the Philippine island of Palawan. The shoal is home to a small number of Filipino troops stationed on a warship that Manila grounded there in 1999 to reinforce its sovereignty claims. The site of frequent hostilities is the Second Thomas Shoal, which both Beijing and Manila claim. China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its territory.

Recent clashes between China and the Philippines in this maritime area, including water cannon use, and heated verbal exchanges, have triggered concern about an escalation at sea. Beijing accused the Philippines of violating Chinese sovereignty in the South China Sea.

The leaders of the Philippines, Japan and the U.S. expressed “serious concerns” over China’s obstruction of Philippine vessels in the region and slammed the “People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) dangerous and aggressive behavior in the South China Sea” in their Joint Vision Statement outlining a series of economic and defense cooperation initiatives.

China’s response

China, which has repeatedly shrugged off criticism of its actions in the South China Sea, accused the United States of inflaming tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

“No one should violate China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and China remains steadfast in safeguarding our lawful rights,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in her April 11 press briefing. “The U.S. and Japan have misrepresented the facts, violated China’s territorial sovereignty and breached international law and basic norms in international relations. They pose the real threat to regional peace and stability.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said “China’s activities in the East China Sea and South China Sea fully comply with international law” and added that China stands ready to resolve maritime issues through “dialogue and consultation”.