US President Joe Biden made "ironclad" defence pledges to the Philippines and Japan as he hosted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington. The tri-lateral summit came amid growing tensions with China, whose actions the three leaders described as "dangerous and aggressive".

Washington

US President Joe Biden has pledged an "ironclad" defense commitment to the Philippines and Japan during discussions with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington. The discussions are part of a tri-lateral summit focused on addressing and responding to the increasing tensions with China. The leaders of the United States, the Philippines, and Japan collectively described China's actions as "dangerous and aggressive," highlighting the necessity of their defense discussions amidst these growing concerns.



Biden vows 'ironclad' defence of Philippines, Japan

It's the first ever leader summit between the US, Japan and the Philippines. At the top of the agenda was Beijing's mounting pressure on the Philippines over areas it claims in the disputed South China Sea. Claims that the three leaders denounced in a joint statement. We express our serious concerns about the People's Republic of China's dangerous and aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea. We are also concerned by the militarisation of reclaimed features and unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea. Despite an appeal by Biden to the Chinese president last year, Beijing and Manila had a series of maritime disputes in March that involved the use of water cannons. The clashes centre on the Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines grounded a warship in 1999 to bolster its sovereignty claims. During the summit, Biden vowed the US would respond in the event of an armed attack on the Philippines in the South China Sea. I want to be clear, the United States' defence commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad. They're ironclad. As I've said before, any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defence treaty. Beyond defence assurances, the US president also pledged to develop an economic corridor in the Philippines. A corridor that he said will create more jobs in the region and lead to more investment in sectors including clean energy and agriculture.

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Turin

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Council of the City of Sydney

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Paris

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