1 month ago
8
Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
February 12, 2025 | 12:40pm
US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hold their first in-person meeting at Washington DC.
Cabinet Public Affairs Office / Released
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has welcomed the outcome of the first summit between United States President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, saying the two leaders' meeting "bodes well" for the Indo-Pacific region.
“The Philippines welcomes the successful first meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Ishiba which bodes well for the realization of our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday, February 11.
The February 7 summit, which ran for nearly two hours, saw Trump and Ishiba tackle pressing regional challenges. The leaders specifically addressed security concerns in the East and South China Seas, while affirming their commitment to strengthen trilateral partnerships with allies like the Philippines.
Specifically, Trump and Ishida expressed opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by "force or coercion" in the South China Sea. Both parties also condemned China's "provocative activities" in the contested waters.
Beijing has spoken up against Trump and Ishida's joint statement. The country's foreign ministry spokesperson said the "China-related content of the US-Japan joint statement blatantly interferes in China's internal affairs, attacks and smears China and exaggerates regional tensions"
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, despite an international ruling in 2016 that declared this to have no legal basis.
A joint statement after Trump and Ishida's meeting said the two leaders "concurred on the importance of further developing coordination of like-minded countries, including Japan-U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan-Australia-India-U.S. and Japan-U.S.-Philippines."
The DFA said the Philippines "looks forward to continue working with the United States and Japan through our trilateral partnership."
It outlined plans to expand cooperation in "enhancing economic resilience and security, promoting inclusive growth and development, addressing climate change, and maritime cooperation."
The Philippines maintains a mutual defense treaty with the United States that compels both nations to defend the other in case of armed attack.
The country last year also signed a military access agreement with Japan, allowing reciprocal troop deployments between the two countries.
In their first trilateral maritime dialogue last year, the Philippines, the United States and Japan established what officials called a "durable foundation" for maritime cooperation amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.
Japan is one of the United States' closest allies in Asia with over 50,000 American troops stationed in the country. Meanwhile, the Philippines is the United States' oldest treaty ally in the region.
