MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines, Japan and the US have conducted talks aboard the USS Blue Ridge, the US 7th Fleet command and control ship, which docked at the Manila South Harbor three days ago.
In a statement released on Monday night, the 7th Fleet Public Affairs Office said the meeting was aimed at hastening cooperation among the three countries to ensure peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea.
“The peace and stability in this region depends on the unified efforts of our countries,” 7th Fleet commander Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin was quoted as saying to his Filipino and Japanese counterparts during the talks.
“This is a tangible example of the unified commitment of our countries to the stability and security of this region,” Aucoin said during a reception following the trilateral conference.
Military leaders from each country expressed concerns about the tension in the South China Sea as well as the impact of natural and man-made disasters on operations.
They discussed ways to collectively promote peace and stability in the Indo-Asia Pacific.
“Discussions focused on lessons learned from past cooperative training efforts with an eye toward maximizing future opportunities, which included expanding the scope and complexity of multilateral engagements, exercises, and humanitarian and disaster response efforts that will allow countries to rapidly respond to a crisis.”
The Armed Forces of the Philippines downplayed the trilateral meeting, describing it as routine.
“They are constantly talking,” AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said.
The Blue Ridge (LCC-19), flagship of the US 7th Fleet and one of only two such ships in the inventory of the US Navy, docked at Manila Bay on March 4 for a port call.
The visit came as the US John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG), was patrolling in the South China Sea.
The JCSSG armada that included three destroyers and a cruiser ended its South China Sea freedom of navigation operations two days ago.
On March 2, Japanese minesweeper Division 51 also docked at South Harbor for a three-day goodwill visit. It was followed by the signing of the defense cooperation between Japan and the Philippines.
The minesweeper, led by Capt. Toshiro Takaiwa, is composed of two ships - Uraga (Minesweeper Tender 463) and JS Takashima (Minesweeper Tender 603).
Meanwhile, the Stennis strike group has wrapped up its six-day operations in the South China Sea and transited into the Philippine Sea through the Luzon strait.
The strike group said the People’s Liberation Army (Navy) ships remained around Stennis, but all “bridge-to-bridge interactions between the sailors of both navies remained professional.”
“Based on the communications of USS Chung-Hoon had with the PLA(N) ships, the Chinese Navy prides itself with professional communications and interactions,” Chung-Hoon commanding officer Tom Ogden said.
Chung-Hoon was one of two destroyers in the service of the Stennis strike group.
Rear Admiral Ronald Boxall, the strike group’s commander, said he was not surprised by the interest of other countries in the strike group.
“We’re exercising our right to operate in international waters. Our presence here promotes peace and stability in the region,” Boxall said.