On March 18, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Manila and will have a trilateral meeting with his counterparts from the host country, the Philippines, and Japan.
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| US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in the Philippines on March 18. (Source: AFP) |
Fox News quoted a senior US State Department official as saying that the focus of the trip was to maintain peace, stability and respect for international law.
According to US media, Mr. Blinken will meet with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on March 19.
On March 20, Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko will also visit Manila and participate in talks with his US and Philippine counterparts to discuss measures to strengthen defense and economic cooperation.
The foreign ministers' meeting is in preparation for a trilateral summit, which has been scheduled for April 11 in Washington DC, between US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The trilateral summit is expected to take place immediately after Prime Minister Kishida's state visit to the US.
Recently, the US and Japan have increased trade-investment and defense cooperation with the Philippines.
Manila is currently negotiating with Tokyo on a Mutual Access Agreement, similar to the status Japan has with the US and Australia. A senior Philippine official affirmed that Japan is a major partner in defense and security of the country.
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