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Foreign ministers

Trilateral Partnership Reaffirms Commitment to Freedom of Navigation in South China Sea

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Philippines, the United States, and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea under their trilateral partnership. The countries' foreign ministers expressed their opposition to attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force and coercion, and reiterated the importance of respecting the rule of law. This commitment comes as China has continued to deploy its naval vessels to reinforce its sweeping claims to nearly the entire South China Sea.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Philippines, the United States, and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea under their trilateral partnership.
  • The three countries expressed their opposition to attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force and coercion, and reiterated the importance of respecting the rule of law.
  • The countries' foreign ministers congratulated Theresa Lazaro on her recent appointment as Foreign Affairs Secretary of the Philippines.
  • Lazaro described the United States and Japan as "indispensable partners" in boosting the Philippines' defense posture.
  • The countries discussed cooperation on the Luzon Economic Corridor and the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas railway project, with the United States providing $3.8 million funding for the pre-feasibility study.
  • The three countries' top diplomats discussed deeper cooperation in cybersecurity capacity building and workforce development.

Statistics:

  • $3.8 million: The amount of funding provided by the United States for the pre-feasibility study of the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas railway project.
  • 50 years: The timeframe in which the story of the next 50 years will largely be written in the Indo-Pacific region, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
  • 9 years: The anniversary of the South China Sea Arbitral Award, which invalidated China's sweeping territorial claims in the resource-rich waters on July 12.

Sources:

  • "Japan's Foreign Affairs Ministry"
  • "Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)"
  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statement at a press conference.

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