The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs responded on Thursday (April 18) to the Chinese authorities’ opposition to the trilateral summit between the Philippines, Japan, and the United States by stating that the Philippines’ decision to strengthen its alliance with Japan and the United States is a sovereign choice, and urged China to reflect on its actions in the South China Sea.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs stated that the enhanced trilateral relationship between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines will promote peace and economic growth in the Indo-Pacific region and should not be viewed as a threat. The statement pointed out that the Chinese authorities should reflect on their actions in the South China Sea.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs stated in the release that the root cause of the tension in the region, as widely known, is China’s excessive maritime claims and aggressive behavior, including the militarization of reclaimed land, which has disrupted the peace and stability of the region and heightened tensions.
On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jianclaimed at a press conference that China firmly opposes “extraregional countries forming exclusive cliques in the South China Sea” and warned the Philippines that “seeking to introduce external forces to safeguard their own security will only lead to greater insecurity.”
Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden, alongside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, held a trilateral summit at the White House, where the leaders expressed “serious concerns” about China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
Over the past year, tensions between the Philippines and the Chinese regime in the South China Sea have escalated continuously. The Philippine military reported that on March 23, a Chinese coast guard ship near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal (known as Ayungin Reef in China) fired water cannons at a Philippine resupply boat, resulting in injuries to Filipino crew members and damage to the resupply vessel.
Starting next week, the Philippines and the United States military will conduct joint military exercises under the codename “Balikatan.” These exercises will take place in areas facing Taiwan and the South China Sea, simulating the recapture of islands occupied by enemy forces.
More than 16,700 military personnel from the United States and the Philippines will participate in the exercise, focusing on maritime security, air defense and missile defense, dynamic missile strikes, cyber defense, and information warfare training.
Philippine Army Colonel Michael Logico, who is responsible for overseeing the exercises, stated that this will be the first joint military exercise conducted by the United States and the Philippines outside Philippine territorial waters, with the aim of enhancing the mutual coordination between the two forces.