PH-US-Japan maritime talks flag ‘unlawful’ Chinese behavior in SCS

FILE: Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, US National Security Council Senior Director and Special Assistant to the President Mira Rapp-Hooper, and Japanese Assistant Foreign Minister Nakamura Ryo. (Photo: Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro @UsecLazaro/X)

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The Philippines, United States and Japan raised “serious concerns” over China’s repeated blocking and harassment of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea during their inaugural trilateral maritime talks in Japan.

The dialogue held on Tuesday, was chaired by Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, US National Security Council Senior Director and Special Assistant to the President Mira Rapp-Hooper, and Japanese Assistant Foreign Minister Nakamura Ryo.

In a readout, the US State Department said the three sides expressed concerns about China’s “dangerous and unlawful behavior in the South China Sea,” saying this threatens the freedoms of navigation and overflight of all nations.

The three states reaffirmed their commitment to upholding international law as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said this inaugural dialogue was a “significant milestone in demonstrating the deepening cooperation of the Philippines, Japan and the US on maritime concerns”.

The talks, it said, reflected the three nations’ “enduring commitment to uphold a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific through the rules-based international order”.

At the dialogue, the three sides also had “open and dynamic discussions” on strategic perspectives on regional maritime issues, institutionalizing trilateral cooperation, and future policy plans, among others.

Maritime cooperative activities with other partners were also floated, including combined trainings, maritime law enforcement and coast guard capacity building.

“They emphasized that the trilateral maritime dialogue will serve as a durable foundation for coordination and cooperation in addressing challenges and complexities of the regional maritime landscape,” the DFA said.

The inaugural Trilateral Maritime Dialogue was an outcome of the first-ever Philippines-Japan-US Trilateral Summit held in April this year.

At its conclusion, Lazaro announced the Philippines’ willingness to host the Second Trilateral Maritime Dialogue in 2025.