MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines, Japan, and United States established what officials called a "durable foundation" for maritime cooperation during their first trilateral dialogue in Tokyo on Tuesday, December 10.
The three nations set up ways to more closely coordinate on regional maritime challenges through a rules-based approach anchored on international law, according to a joint statement released Wednesday morning, December 11.
The maritime talks — planned since an April summit among the three partners — gained fresh urgency after Chinese vessels harassed and used water cannons against Philippine Coast Guard vessels in the West Philippine Sea last week.
Both the United States and Japan issued statements of concern over the incident — one of the most heated confrontations between the Philippines and China in the disputed waters since China’s ramming of a PCG vessel at Escoda Shoal in August.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro represented Manila alongside officials from the Department of National Defense, National Security Council, Philippine Coast Guard, and Armed Forces of the Philippines. Japanese Assistant Foreign Minister Nakamura Ryo, meanwhile, led the host delegation, while US National Security Council Senior Director Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper led the American team.
The three governments agreed to use the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award as foundations for maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The talks were also called a “significant milestone in demonstrating the deepening cooperation of the Philippines, Japan and the US on maritime concerns.” It allowed the three countries to have an “open and dynamic discussions on strategic perspectives on regional maritime issues,” according to the joint statement.
Officials also discussed the possible institutionalization of the trilateral cooperation “and future policy plans, among others,” the joint statement read.
“They emphasized that the trilateral maritime dialogue will serve as a durable foundation for coordination and cooperation in addressing challenges and complexities of the regional maritime landscape,” the joint statement read.
Manila is set to host the next round of talks in 2025.
The December 4 incident in Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) saw China use for the first time its warships to shadow PCG vessels in the West Philippine Sea — the part of the South China Sea that falls inside the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, deemed the actions of the two People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels as a “steep escalation” in the disputed waters.
While there were initial talks of the Philippines reciprocating with its own military vessels, President Ferdinand Marcos on Monday announced that there was “no need” for Philippine warships to patrol the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines is the United States’ longest treaty ally in the region. Both countries share a Mutual Defense Treaty that compels them to defend the other in case of armed attacks.