US, Philippines, Japan to address South China Sea row in summit

A trilateral summit between the leaders of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines will include a discussion of recent incidents in the South China Sea, Manila's foreign ministry said on Friday.

US President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. next week to discuss economic relations and the Indo-Pacific.

 

The summit set for next week is not directed at any country. The Philippines' acting foreign affairs undersecretary Hans Mohaimin Siriban spoke at a press conference, although the three countries have expressed concern about China's growing aggressiveness in the region.

"We can expect an alignment of views among the three countries on the recent incidents," Siriban said, adding they are expected to develop a "joint vision statement" on their diplomatic relations.

Siriban said Biden and Marcos will hold a bilateral meeting separately ahead of the trilateral summit.

Reuters