US, PH, Japan leaders to hold first trilateral summit in April

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (Photo courtesy of the Office of the President)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is set to hold a trilateral leaders’ summit with his United States and Japanese counterparts on April 11 at the White House, the first of its kind between the three states.

The White House on Tuesday said Marcos, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Fumio will discuss a broad range of areas, including economic and security cooperation, among others.

“At the summit, the leaders will advance a trilateral partnership built on deep historical ties of friendship, robust and growing economic relations, a proud and resolute commitment to shared democratic values, and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

“The leaders will also reaffirm the ironclad alliances between the United States and the Philippines, and the United States and Japan,” she added.

The discussions, she said, will cover bolstering trilateral cooperation to promote inclusive economic growth, emerging technologies, advancing clean energy supply chains and climate cooperation, and further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.

Marcos-Biden bilaterals 

Exact timings of the events are still being worked out but Marcos and Biden will also meet bilaterally on the same day at the White House.

Jean-Pierre said the two leaders will discuss efforts to expand bilateral cooperation on economic security, clean energy, people-to-people ties, and human rights and democracy.

“The President will reaffirm the ironclad alliance between the United States and the Philippines and emphasize US commitment to upholding international law and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific,” she said.

The summit will follow a series of high-level visits by US officials to the Philippines such as the US Secretary of Commerce who led the first US Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to Manila early this month and State Department Secretary Antony Blinken who will meet with Marcos and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on March 19.

Last March 13, US Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral John Aquilino also met with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to strengthen Philippine defense capabilities and the overall national defense system.

In the meeting, Aquilino commended the leadership of Teodoro and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen.

Romeo Brawner Jr. for their principled stance on Ayungin Shoal and “condemned the actions of the Chinese Coast Guard and emphasized the importance of continued international engagement on the issue.”

Both officials highlighted the importance of fast-tracking the General Security of Military Information Agreement (SOMIA), which will establish a framework for information technology collaboration between the two armed forces.